Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

ABSTRACT

Provided are a transistor which has electrical characteristics requisite for its purpose and uses an oxide semiconductor layer and a semiconductor device including the transistor. In the bottom-gate transistor in which at least a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating film, and the semiconductor layer are stacked in this order, an oxide semiconductor stacked layer including at least two oxide semiconductor layers whose energy gaps are different from each other is used as the semiconductor layer. Oxygen and/or a dopant may be added to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method formanufacturing the semiconductor device.

In this specification, the semiconductor device generally means anydevice which can function by utilizing semiconductor characteristics,and an electrooptic device, a semiconductor circuit, and electronicequipment are all included in the category of the semiconductor device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Attention has been focused on a technique for forming a transistor withuse of a semiconductor thin film formed over a substrate having aninsulating surface (the transistor also referred to as a thin filmtransistor (TFT)). The transistor has been applied to a wide range ofelectronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) or an imagedisplay device (display device). A silicon semiconductor material iswidely known as a material for a semiconductor thin film applicable to atransistor. As another material, an oxide semiconductor has attractedattention.

For example, a transistor whose active layer includes an amorphous oxidecontaining indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) is disclosed (seePatent Document 1).

REFERENCE Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No.2006-165528 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An improvement in the on-state characteristics (e.g., on-state currentand field-effect mobility) of a transistor leads to high-speed responseto an input signal and high-speed operation of a semiconductor device;thus, a semiconductor device with higher performance can be achieved.Meanwhile it is necessary that the off-state current of the transistorbe sufficiently small for low power consumption of the semiconductordevice. As described above, the electrical characteristics requisite fora transistor vary depending on its purpose or object, and it is usefulto adjust the electrical characteristics with high accuracy.

It is one object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide atransistor structure and a manufacturing method thereof, in which thethreshold voltage, which is one of electrical characteristics, of atransistor using an oxide semiconductor for its channel formation regioncan take a positive value, providing a switching element of so-callednormally-off type.

It is preferable that a channel be formed at a threshold voltage atwhich the gate voltage is a positive threshold voltage as close to 0 Vas possible in a transistor. If the threshold voltage of the transistoris negative, the transistor tends to be so-called normally-on type, inwhich current flows between the source electrode and the drain electrodeeven at a gate voltage of 0 V. Electrical characteristics of atransistor included in a circuit are important in an LSI, a CPU, or amemory, and govern power consumption of a semiconductor device. Inparticular, of the electrical properties of the transistor, thethreshold voltage (V_(th)) is important. If the threshold voltage valueis negative even while the field-effect mobility is high, it isdifficult to control the circuit. Such a transistor in which a channelis formed even at a negative voltage so that a drain current flows isnot suitable as a transistor used in an integrated circuit of asemiconductor device.

Further, it is important that the characteristics of a transistor beclose to the normally-off characteristics even when the transistor isnot a normally-off transistor depending on its material or manufacturingcondition. It is an object of one embodiment of the present invention toprovide a structure and a manufacturing method thereof, in which thethreshold voltage of a transistor is close to zero even when thethreshold voltage is negative, that is, even when the transistor is aso-called normally-on transistor.

Further, it is an object of one embodiment of the present invention toprovide a structure and a manufacturing method thereof, in whichon-state characteristics (e.g., on-state current and field-effectmobility) of a transistor are increased, leading to high-speed responseand high-speed operation of a semiconductor device for a higherperformance semiconductor device.

It is an object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide atransistor which has electrical characteristics requisite for itspurpose and uses an oxide semiconductor layer, and to provide asemiconductor device including the transistor.

It is an object of one embodiment of the present invention to achieve atleast one of the above-described objects.

In a bottom-gate transistor in which at least a gate electrode layer, agate insulating film, and a semiconductor layer are stacked in thisorder, an oxide semiconductor stacked layer including at least two oxidesemiconductor layers whose energy gaps are different from each other isused as the semiconductor layer.

The oxide semiconductor stacked layer may have a stacked structureconsisting of a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxidesemiconductor layer, in the case of which the stack order of them is notlimited as long as their energy gaps are different from each other:either one whose energy gap is larger or the other whose energy gap issmaller is provided as the oxide semiconductor layer which is in contactwith the gate insulating film.

Specifically, the energy gap of one oxide semiconductor layer in theoxide semiconductor stacked layer is larger than or equal to 3 eV andthat of the other oxide semiconductor layer is smaller than 3 eV. Theterm “energy gap” is synonymous with “band gap” or “forbidden bandwidth” in this specification.

The oxide semiconductor stacked layer may have a stacked structureconsisting of three or more oxide semiconductor layers, in the case ofwhich either the energy gaps of all the oxide semiconductor layers aredifferent from each other, or the energy gaps of a plurality of oxidesemiconductor layers among the three or more oxide semiconductor layersare substantially the same as each other.

For example, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer has a stackedstructure consisting of a first oxide semiconductor layer, a secondoxide semiconductor layer, and a third oxide semiconductor layer, inwhich the energy gap of the second oxide semiconductor layer is smallerthan those of the first oxide semiconductor layer and the third oxidesemiconductor layer, or the electron affinity of the second oxidesemiconductor layer is larger than those of the first oxidesemiconductor layer and the third oxide semiconductor layer. In thatcase, the energy gap and the electron affinity can be equal to eachother between the first oxide semiconductor layer and the third oxidesemiconductor layer. The stacked structure in which the second oxidesemiconductor layer whose energy gap is smaller is sandwiched by thefirst oxide semiconductor layer and the third oxide semiconductor layerwhose energy gaps are larger enables the off-state current (leakagecurrent) of the transistor to be reduced. The electron affinity means anenergy difference between the vacuum level and the conduction band ofthe oxide semiconductor.

Electrical properties of a transistor using an oxide semiconductor layerare affected by the energy gap of the oxide semiconductor layer. Forexample, the on-state characteristics (e.g., on-state current andfield-effect mobility) of the transistor using an oxide semiconductorlayer can increase as the energy gap of the oxide semiconductor layergets smaller, whereas the off-state current of the transistor candecrease as the energy gap of the oxide semiconductor layer gets larger.

It is difficult to provide a transistor with appropriate electricalcharacteristics by a single oxide semiconductor layer because theelectrical characteristics of the transistor are mostly determined bythe energy gap of the oxide semiconductor layer.

By using the oxide semiconductor stacked layer using a plurality ofoxide semiconductor layers having different energy gaps, the electricalcharacteristics of the transistor can be adjusted with higher accuracy,providing the transistor with appropriate electrical characteristics.

Accordingly, semiconductor devices for a variety of purposes such ashigh functionality, high reliability, and low power consumption can beprovided.

One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specificationis a semiconductor device including a gate insulating film over a gateelectrode layer, an oxide semiconductor stacked layer including a firstoxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer whoseenergy gaps are different from each other over the gate insulating filmto overlap with the gate electrode layer, and a source and drainelectrode layers over the oxide semiconductor stacked layer.

One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specificationis a semiconductor device including a gate insulating film over a gateelectrode layer, an oxide semiconductor stacked layer including a firstoxide semiconductor layer, a second oxide semiconductor layer, and athird oxide semiconductor layer, which are stacked in this order, overthe gate insulating film to overlap with the gate electrode layer, and asource and drain electrode layers over the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer. The energy gap of the second oxide semiconductor layer is smallerthan those of the first oxide semiconductor layer and the third oxidesemiconductor layer.

One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specificationis a semiconductor device including a gate insulating film over a gateelectrode layer, a source and drain electrode layers over the gateinsulating film, and an oxide semiconductor stacked layer including afirst oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layerwhose energy gaps are different from each other over the gate insulatingfilm and the source and drain electrode layers to overlap with the gateelectrode layer.

One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specificationis a semiconductor device including a gate insulating film over a gateelectrode layer, a source and drain electrode layers over the gateinsulating film, and an oxide semiconductor stacked layer including afirst oxide semiconductor layer, a second oxide semiconductor layer, anda third oxide semiconductor layer, which are stacked in this order, overthe gate insulating film and the source and drain electrode layers tooverlap with the gate electrode layer. The energy gap of the secondoxide semiconductor layer is smaller than those of the first oxidesemiconductor layer and the third oxide semiconductor layer.

In the oxide semiconductor stacked layer, the upper oxide semiconductorlayer may cover a top and side surfaces of the lower oxide semiconductorlayer. For example, in the above-described structure, the second oxidesemiconductor layer may cover a top and side surfaces of the first oxidesemiconductor layer, and/or the third oxide semiconductor layer maycover a top surface of the second oxide semiconductor layer and a sidesurface of the second oxide semiconductor layer (or respective sidesurfaces of the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxidesemiconductor layer).

In the oxide semiconductor stacked layer, the concentration of oxygen ina region which overlaps with neither the source electrode layer nor thedrain electrode layer may be higher than that in a region which overlapswith either the source electrode layer or the drain electrode layer.

In the oxide semiconductor stacked layer, a region which does notoverlap with the gate electrode layer may include a dopant to form alow-resistance region.

One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specificationis a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, in which a gateinsulating film is formed over a gate electrode layer, an oxidesemiconductor stacked layer including a first oxide semiconductor layerand a second oxide semiconductor layer whose energy gaps are differentfrom each other is formed over the gate insulating film to overlap withthe gate electrode layer, and a source and drain electrode layers isformed over the oxide semiconductor stacked layer.

One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specificationis a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, in which a gateinsulating film is formed over a gate electrode layer, an oxidesemiconductor stacked layer is formed by forming a first oxidesemiconductor layer over the gate insulating film to overlap with thegate electrode layer, forming a second oxide semiconductor layer whoseenergy gap is smaller than that of the first oxide semiconductor layerover the first oxide semiconductor layer, and forming a third oxidesemiconductor layer whose energy gap is larger than that of the secondoxide semiconductor layer, and a source and drain electrode layers isformed over the oxide semiconductor stacked layer.

One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specificationis a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, in which a gateinsulating film is formed over a gate electrode layer, a source anddrain electrode layers is formed over the gate insulating film, and anoxide semiconductor stacked layer including a first oxide semiconductorlayer and a second oxide semiconductor layer whose energy gaps aredifferent from each other is formed over the gate insulating film andthe source and drain electrode layers to overlap with the gate electrodelayer.

One embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specificationis a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, in which a gateinsulating film is formed over a gate electrode layer, a source anddrain electrode layers is formed over the gate insulating film, and anoxide semiconductor stacked layer is formed by forming a first oxidesemiconductor layer over the gate insulating film and the source anddrain electrode layers to overlap with the gate electrode layer, forminga second oxide semiconductor layer whose energy gap is smaller than thatof the first oxide semiconductor layer over the first oxidesemiconductor layer, and forming a third oxide semiconductor layer whoseenergy gap is larger than that of the second oxide semiconductor layer.

A dopant may be selectively added to the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer to form low-resistance regions whose resistances are lower thanthat of a channel formation region and which include the dopant, withthe channel formation region provided therebetween in the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer. The dopant is an impurity by which theelectrical conductivity of the oxide semiconductor stacked layer ischanged. As the method for addition of the dopant, an ion implantationmethod, an ion doping method, a plasma immersion ion implantationmethod, or the like can be used.

With the oxide semiconductor stacked layer including the low-resistanceregions between which the channel formation region is provided in thechannel length direction, on-state characteristics (e.g., on-statecurrent and field-effect mobility) of the transistor are increased,which enables high-speed operation and high-speed response.

Further, heat treatment (dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment) bywhich hydrogen or water is eliminated may be performed on the oxidesemiconductor layer. The dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment canserve as heat treatment for forming a mixed region. Further, in the casewhere a crystalline oxide semiconductor layer is used as the oxidesemiconductor layer, the heat treatment for forming a mixed region canserve as heat treatment for crystallization.

The dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment may accompany eliminationof oxygen which is a main constituent material of an oxide semiconductorto lead to a reduction in oxygen. An oxygen vacancy exists in a portionwhere oxygen is eliminated in an oxide semiconductor film, which givesrise to a donor level which causes a change in the electricalcharacteristics of a transistor.

Thus, oxygen is preferably supplied to the oxide semiconductor layerafter being subjected to the dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment.By supply of oxygen to the oxide semiconductor layer, oxygen vacanciesin the film can be repaired.

For example, an oxide insulating film including much (excessive) oxygen,which serves as a supply source of oxygen, may be provided so as to bein contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, whereby oxygen can besupplied from the oxide insulating film to the oxide semiconductorlayer. In the above structure, heat treatment may be performed in thestate where the oxide semiconductor layer after being subjected to theheat treatment and the oxide insulating film are at least partly incontact with each other to supply oxygen to the oxide semiconductorlayer.

Further or alternatively, oxygen (which includes at least one of anoxygen radical, an oxygen atom, and an oxygen ion) may be added to theoxide semiconductor layer after being subjected to the dehydration ordehydrogenation treatment to supply oxygen to the oxide semiconductorlayer. As the method for addition of oxygen, an ion implantation method,an ion doping method, a plasma immersion ion implantation method, plasmatreatment, or the like can be used.

Further, it is preferable that the oxide semiconductor layer in thetransistor include a region where the oxygen content is higher than thatin the stoichiometric composition ratio of the oxide semiconductor in acrystalline state. In that case, the oxygen content is higher than thatin the stoichiometric composition ratio of the oxide semiconductor.Alternatively, the oxygen content is higher than that of the oxidesemiconductor in a single crystal state. In some cases, oxygen existsbetween lattices of the oxide semiconductor.

By removing hydrogen or water from the oxide semiconductor to highlypurify the oxide semiconductor so as not to contain impurities as muchas possible, and supplying oxygen to repair oxygen vacancies therein,the oxide semiconductor can be turned into an i-type (intrinsic) oxidesemiconductor or a substantially i-type (intrinsic) oxide semiconductor.Accordingly, the Fermi level (Ef) of the oxide semiconductor can bechanged to the same level as the intrinsic Fermi level (Ei). Thus, byusing the oxide semiconductor layer for a transistor, variation in thethreshold voltage V_(th) of the transistor and a shift of the thresholdvoltage ΔV_(th) due to an oxygen vacancy can be reduced.

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a semiconductordevice including a transistor or a semiconductor device including acircuit including a transistor. For example, one embodiment of thepresent invention relates to a semiconductor device including atransistor whose channel formation region is formed of an oxidesemiconductor or a semiconductor device including a circuit includingthe transistor. For example, one embodiment of the present inventionrelates to electronic equipment which includes, as a component, an LSI;a CPU; a power device mounted in a power circuit; a semiconductorintegrated circuit including a memory, a thyristor, a converter, animage sensor, or the like; an electro-optical device typified by aliquid crystal display panel; or a light-emitting display deviceincluding a light-emitting element.

By using the oxide semiconductor stacked layer using a plurality ofoxide semiconductor layers whose energy gaps are different from eachother, the electrical characteristics of the transistor can be adjustedwith higher accuracy, providing the transistor with appropriateelectrical characteristics.

Accordingly, semiconductor devices for a variety of purposes such ashigh functionality, high reliability, and low power consumption can beprovided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGS. 1A and 1B each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductordevice;

FIGS. 2A to 2E illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device and amanufacturing method of the semiconductor device;

FIGS. 3A to 3C each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device;

FIGS. 4A to 4C illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device;

FIGS. 5A to 5D illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device and amanufacturing method of the semiconductor device;

FIGS. 6A to 6C illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device and amanufacturing method of the semiconductor device;

FIGS. 7A to 7D each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device;

FIGS. 8A to 8D each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device;

FIGS. 9A to 9C each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device;

FIGS. 10A to 10C each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductordevice;

FIGS. 11A and 11B each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductordevice;

FIGS. 12A to 12C each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductordevice;

FIGS. 13A and 13B each illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductordevice;

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device;

FIGS. 15A to 15C illustrate one embodiment of a semiconductor device;

FIGS. 16A to 16D each illustrate electronic equipment;

FIG. 17A is a schematic diagram and FIGS. 17B and 17C are TEM images ofSamples in Example 1;

FIG. 18A is a schematic diagram and FIGS. 18B and 18C are TEM images ofSamples in Example 1;

FIG. 19 is a graph showing an ionization potential;

FIG. 20 is a graph showing an energy band diagram;

FIG. 21 is a graph showing an ionization potential;

FIG. 22 is a graph showing an energy band diagram;

FIGS. 23A and 23B are graphs showing off-state current of transistors;

FIG. 24 is a graph showing field-effect mobility of the transistors;

FIGS. 25A and 25B are graphs showing off-state current of transistors;

FIG. 26 is a graph showing field-effect mobility of the transistors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention disclosed in thisspecification are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.The present invention disclosed in this specification is not limited tothe following description, and it will be easily understood by thoseskilled in the art that modes and details can be variously changedwithout departing from the spirit and the scope of the presentinvention. Therefore, the present invention disclosed in thisspecification is not construed as being limited to the description ofthe following embodiments. The ordinal numbers such as “first” and“second” in this specification are used for convenience and inferneither the order of manufacturing steps nor the stack order of layers.The ordinal numbers in this specification do not constitute particularnames which specify the present invention, either.

Embodiment 1

In this embodiment, an embodiment of a semiconductor device and a methodfor manufacturing the semiconductor device is described with referenceto FIGS. 1A and 1B and FIGS. 3A to 3C. In this embodiment, a transistorincluding an oxide semiconductor film is described as an example of thesemiconductor device.

The transistor may have a single-gate structure in which one channelformation region is formed, a double-gate structure in which two channelformation regions are formed, or a triple-gate structure in which threechannel formation regions are formed. Alternatively, the transistor mayhave a dual-gate structure including two gate electrode layerspositioned over and under a channel formation region with a gateinsulating film provided therebetween.

A transistor 440 a shown in FIG. 1A and a transistor 440 b shown in FIG.1B are examples of an inverted staggered, bottom-gate transistor.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, each of the transistors 440 a and 440 binclude a gate electrode layer 401, a gate insulating film 402, an oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 including a first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 and a second oxide semiconductor layer 102 whose energy gapsare different from each other, a source electrode layer 405 a, and adrain electrode layer 405 b, which are provided in this order over asubstrate 400 having an insulating surface. An insulating film 407 isformed over each of the transistors 440 a and 440 b.

In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the interface between the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 is shown by adotted line, by which the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 isillustrated schematically. The interface between the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 isnot always clear, which depends on their materials, formationconditions, and heat treatment. In the case where the interface is notclear, a mixed region or a mixed layer of a plurality of oxidesemiconductor layers may be formed. This applies to the other drawingsof this specification.

For example, a transistor 449 which includes a mixed region 105 betweenthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 is shown in FIG. 3C.

In the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 in the transistor 449, theinterface between the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102 is unclear, and the mixed region 105 isformed between the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102. The interface which is “unclear” means,for example, an interface where a clear continuous boundary cannot beobserved between the stacked oxide semiconductor layers incross-sectional observation (TEM image) of the oxide semiconductor stack403, with a high resolution transmission electron microscope.

The mixed region 105 is a region where elements contained in the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer102 that are stacked are mixed, and at least the composition ofconstituent elements in the mixed region 105 is different from either ofrespective those of constituent elements in the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102.For example, when a stacked-layer structure of a first oxidesemiconductor layer including indium, tin, and zinc and a second oxidesemiconductor layer including indium, gallium, and zinc is used as theoxide semiconductor stack 403, the mixed region 105 formed between thefirst oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layercontains indium, tin, gallium, and zinc. In addition, even in the casewhere elements contained in the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 andthe second oxide semiconductor layer 102 are the same as each other, themixed region 105 can have a different composition (composition ratio)from that of each of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102. Thus, the energy gap of the mixedregion 105 is also different from that of the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 and that of the second oxide semiconductor layer 102, and theenergy gap of the mixed region 105 is a value between the energy gap ofthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the energy gap of the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102.

Thus, the mixed region 105 enables a continuous bond to be formed in theenergy band diagram of the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403,suppressing scattering in the interface between the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102.Since the interface scattering can be suppressed, the transistor 449using the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 provided with the mixedregion 105 can have higher field-effect mobility.

The mixed region 105 can form a gradient between the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 inthe energy band diagram. The shape of the gradient may have a pluralityof steps.

The interfaces between the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and themixed region 105 and between the second oxide semiconductor layer 102and the mixed region 105 are shown by dotted lines, by which unclear(indistinct) interfaces in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 areillustrated schematically.

The mixed region 105 can be formed by performing heat treatment on theoxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 including the plurality of oxidesemiconductor layers. The heat treatment is performed at a temperatureat which elements in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer can bedispersed by heat under such a condition that the stacked oxidesemiconductor layers are not turned into a mixed region whosecomposition (composition ratio) is uniform entirely over the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer.

The stack order of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102 in the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 is not limited as long as their energy gaps are different fromeach other.

Specifically, the energy gap of one oxide semiconductor layer in theoxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 is larger than or equal to 3 eVand that of the other oxide semiconductor layer is smaller than 3 eV.

The transistor 440 a shown in FIG. 1A is an example in which the energygap of the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 is larger than that ofthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101. In this embodiment, anIn—Sn—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 2.6 eV to 2.9 eV, or2.8 eV as a typical example) and an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film (with anenergy gap of 3.0 eV to 3.4 eV, or 3.2 eV as a typical example) are usedas the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 in the transistor 440 a, respectively.

On the other hand, the transistor 440 b shown in FIG. 1B is an examplein which the energy gap of the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 issmaller than that of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101. In thisembodiment, an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 3.2 eV)and an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 2.8 eV) are usedas the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 in the transistor 440 b, respectively.

In this manner, either one whose energy gap is larger or the other whoseenergy gap is smaller is provided as the oxide semiconductor layer whichis in contact with the gate insulating film 402, as either the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 or the second oxide semiconductor layer102 in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

FIG. 4A illustrates a transistor 480 in which a stacked layer consistingof the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and a third oxide semiconductor layer 103 isused to form the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

The transistor 480 includes the gate electrode layer 401, the gateinsulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 includingthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103, the sourceelectrode layer 405 a, and the drain electrode layer 405 b, which areprovided in this order over the substrate 400 having an insulatingsurface. The insulating film 407 is formed over the transistor 480.

Respective energy gaps of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductorlayer 103 in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 of the transistor480 are not the same as each other but take at least two differentvalues.

In the case where the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 has astacked structure consisting of three or more oxide semiconductorlayers, either respective energy gaps of all the oxide semiconductorlayers are different from each other, or the energy gaps of a pluralityof oxide semiconductor layers among the three or more oxidesemiconductor layers are substantially the same as each other.

Further, a transistor 410 is shown in FIG. 9A as another embodiment of asemiconductor device. The transistor 410 is one of bottom-gatetransistors referred to as a channel-protective type (also referred toas a channel-stop type) and is also referred to as an inverted staggeredtransistor.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the transistor 410 includes the gate electrodelayer 401, the gate insulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102 whose energy gaps are differentfrom each other, an insulating film 427, the source electrode layer 405a, and the drain electrode layer 405 b, which are provided in this orderover the substrate 400 having an insulating surface. An insulating film409 is formed over the transistor 410.

The insulating film 427 is provided over the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 to overlap with the gate electrode layer 401, and functions asa channel protective film.

The insulating film 427 may be formed using a material and a methodsimilar to those of the insulating film 407; as a typical example, asingle layer or a stacked layer using one or more of inorganicinsulating films such as a silicon oxide film, a silicon oxynitridefilm, an aluminum oxide film, an aluminum oxynitride film, a hafniumoxide film, a gallium oxide film, a silicon nitride film, an aluminumnitride film, a silicon nitride oxide film, an aluminum nitride oxidefilm, and an aluminum oxide film can be used.

When the insulating film 427 in contact with the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 (or a film in a stacked-layer structure of theinsulating film 427, which is in contact with the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403) contains much oxygen, the insulating film 427 (or thefilm in contact with the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403) canfavorably function as a supply source which supplies oxygen to the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403.

The insulating film 409 may be formed using a material and a methodsimilar to those of the insulating film 407.

Further, a bottom-gate transistor 430 is shown in FIG. 10A as anotherembodiment of a semiconductor device.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the transistor 430 includes the gate electrodelayer 401, the gate insulating film 402, the source electrode layer 405a, the drain electrode layer 405 b, and the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102 whose energy gaps are differentfrom each other, which are provided in this order over the substrate 400having an insulating surface. The insulating film 407 is formed over thetransistor 430.

In the transistor 430, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 whose energy gaps are different from each otheris provided over the source electrode layer 405 a and the drainelectrode layer 405 b.

It is preferable that indium (In) or zinc (Zn) be contained in an oxidesemiconductor used for the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 (thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, the third oxide semiconductor layer 103). In particular, Inand Zn are preferably contained. In addition, as a stabilizer forreducing the variation in electrical characteristics of a transistorusing the oxide, the oxide semiconductor preferably contains gallium(Ga) in addition to In and Zn. Tin (Sn) is preferably contained as astabilizer. Hafnium (Hf) is preferably contained as a stabilizer.Aluminum (Al) is preferably contained as a stabilizer. Zirconium (Zr) ispreferably contained as a stabilizer.

As another stabilizer, one or plural kinds of lanthanoid selected fromlanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), samarium(Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy),holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and lutetium(Lu) may be contained.

As the oxide semiconductor, for example, any of the following can beused: indium oxide; tin oxide; zinc oxide; a two-component metal oxidesuch as an In—Zn-based oxide, a Sn—Zn-based oxide, an Al—Zn-based oxide,a Zn—Mg-based oxide, a Sn—Mg-based oxide, an In—Mg-based oxide, or anIn—Ga-based oxide; a three-component metal oxide such as anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide, an In—Al—Zn-based oxide, an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide,a Sn—Ga—Zn-based oxide, an Al—Ga—Zn-based oxide, a Sn—Al—Zn-based oxide,an In—Hf—Zn-based oxide, an In—La—Zn-based oxide, an In—Ce—Zn-basedoxide, an In—Pr—Zn-based oxide, an In—Nd—Zn-based oxide, anIn—Sm—Zn-based oxide, an In—Eu—Zn-based oxide, an In—Gd—Zn-based oxide,an In—Tb—Zn-based oxide, an In—Dy—Zn-based oxide, an In—Ho—Zn-basedoxide, an In—Er—Zn-based oxide, an In—Tm—Zn-based oxide, anIn—Yb—Zn-based oxide, or an In—Lu—Zn-based oxide; and a four-componentmetal oxide such as an In—Sn—Ga—Zn-based oxide, an In—Hf—Ga—Zn-basedoxide, an In—Al—Ga—Zn-based oxide, an In—Sn—Al—Zn-based oxide, anIn—Sn—Hf—Zn-based oxide, or an In—Hf—Al—Zn-based oxide.

For example, the In—Ga—Zn-based oxide means an oxide containing In, Ga,and Zn as its main components and there is no limitation on the ratio ofIn:Ga:Zn. The In—Ga—Zn-based oxide may further include a metal elementother than In, Ga, and Zn.

Alternatively, a material represented by InMO₃(ZnO)_(m) (m>0, in is notan integer) may be used as the oxide semiconductor. Here, M representsone or more metal elements selected from Ga, Fe, Mn, and Co.Alternatively, as the oxide semiconductor, a material represented byIn₂SnO₅(ZnO)_(n) (n>0, n is an integer) may be used.

For example, an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide with an atomic ratio ofIn:Ga:Zn=1:1:1 (=1/3:1/3:1/3) or 2:2:1 (=2/5:2/5:1/5), or any of oxideswhose composition is in the neighborhood of the above compositions canbe used. Alternatively, an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide with an atomic ratio ofIn:Sn:Zn=1:1:1 (=1/3:1/3:1/3), 2:1:3 (=1/3:1/6:1/2), or 2:1:5(=1/4:1/8:5/8), or any of oxides whose composition is in theneighborhood of the above compositions can be used.

However, without limitation to the materials given above, any materialwith an appropriate composition may be used depending on requisitesemiconductor characteristics (e.g., mobility, threshold voltage, andvariation). To realize requisite semiconductor characteristics, it ispreferable that the carrier density, the impurity concentration, thedefect density, the atomic ratio between a metal element and oxygen, theinteratomic distance, the density, and the like be set to appropriatevalues.

For example, high mobility can be obtained relatively easily with anIn—Sn—Zn-based oxide. However, mobility can be increased by reducing thedefect density in the bulk also with an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide.

For example, in the case where the composition of an oxide containingIn, Ga, and Zn at the atomic ratio, In:Ga:Zn=a:b:c (a+b+c=1), is in theneighborhood of the composition of an oxide containing In, Ga, and Zn atthe atomic ratio, In:Ga:Zn=A:B:C (A+B+C=1), a, b, and c satisfy thefollowing relation: (a−A)²+(b−B)²+(c−C)²≤r², and r may be 0.05, forexample. The same applies to other oxides.

The oxide semiconductor may be either single crystal ornon-single-crystal. In the latter case, the oxide semiconductor may beeither amorphous or polycrystal. Further, the oxide semiconductor mayhave either an amorphous structure including a portion havingcrystallinity or a non-amorphous structure.

In an oxide semiconductor in an amorphous state, a flat surface can beobtained with relative ease; thus, interface scattering of a transistorincluding the amorphous oxide semiconductor can be reduced, so thatrelatively high mobility can be obtained with relative ease.

In an oxide semiconductor having crystallinity, defects in the bulk canbe more reduced, and mobility higher than that of the amorphous oxidesemiconductor can be obtained by improving the surface flatness. Toimprove the surface flatness, the oxide semiconductor is preferablyformed on a flat surface. Specifically, the oxide semiconductor may beformed on a surface with an average surface roughness (Ra) of less thanor equal to 1 nm, preferably less than or equal to 0.3 nm, furtherpreferably less than or equal to 0.1 nm.

The average surface roughness Ra is obtained by three-dimensionexpansion of the center line average roughness that is defined by JIS B0601 so as to be applied to a plane, and can be expressed as an “averagevalue of the absolute values of deviations from a reference surface to aspecific surface” and is defined by the formula below.

$\begin{matrix}{{Ra} = {\frac{1}{S_{0}}{\int_{y_{1}}^{y_{2}}{\int_{x_{1}}^{x_{2}}{{{{f( {x,y} )} - Z_{0}}}{dxdy}}}}}} & \lbrack {{Formula}\mspace{14mu} 1} \rbrack\end{matrix}$

In the above formula, So represents the area of a measurement surface (aquadrangle region which is defined by four points represented by (x₁,y₁), (x₁, y₂), (x₂, y₁), and (x₂, y₂)), and Z₀ represents the averageheight of the measurement surface. The average surface roughness Ra canbe measured with an atomic force microscope (AFM).

As the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 (the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductor layer 102, thethird oxide semiconductor layer 103), an oxide semiconductor layerincluding a crystal and having crystallinity (crystalline oxidesemiconductor layer) can be used. In the crystal state in thecrystalline oxide semiconductor stacked layer, crystal axes are arrangedeither chaotically or with orientation.

For example, an oxide semiconductor layer including a crystal having ac-axis which is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the oxidesemiconductor layer can be used as the crystalline oxide semiconductorlayer.

The oxide semiconductor layer including a crystal having a c-axis whichis substantially perpendicular to the surface of the oxide semiconductorlayer has neither a single crystal structure nor an amorphous structure,but is a film of a crystalline oxide semiconductor with c-axis alignment(also referred to as a c-axis aligned crystalline oxide semiconductor(CAAC)).

The CAAC-OS film is neither a complete single crystal nor completeamorphous. The CAAC-OS film is an oxide semiconductor film with acrystal-amorphous mixed phase structure where crystal parts are includedin an amorphous phase. In most cases, the crystal part fits inside acube whose one side is less than 100 nm. From an observation image witha transmission electron microscope (TEM), the boundary between anamorphous part and a crystal part in the CAAC-OS film is not clear.Further, with the TEM, a grain boundary in the CAAC-OS film is notfound, either. Thus, in the CAAC-OS film, a reduction in electronmobility, due to the grain boundary, is suppressed.

In each of the crystal parts included in the CAAC-OS film, a c-axis isaligned in a direction parallel to a normal vector of a surface wherethe CAAC-OS film is formed or a normal vector of a surface of theCAAC-OS film, triangular or hexagonal atomic arrangement which is seenfrom the direction perpendicular to the a-b plane is formed, and metalatoms are arranged in a layered manner or metal atoms and oxygen atomsare arranged in a layered manner when seen from the directionperpendicular to the c-axis. Among crystal parts, the directions of thea-axis and the b-axis of one crystal part may be different from those ofanother crystal part. In this specification, the term “perpendicular”encompasses a range from 85° to 95° both inclusive. In addition, theterm “parallel” encompasses a range from −5° to 5° both inclusive.

In the CAAC-OS film, distribution of crystal parts is not necessarilyuniform. For example, in the formation process of the CAAC-OS film, inthe case where crystal growth occurs from the top surface side of theoxide semiconductor film, the proportion of crystal parts in thevicinity of the top surface of the oxide semiconductor film is higherthan that in the vicinity of the surface where the oxide semiconductorfilm is formed, in some cases. Further, when an impurity is added to theCAAC-OS film, the crystal part in a region to which the impurity isadded is turned into amorphous in some cases.

Since the c-axes of the crystal parts included in the CAAC-OS film arealigned in the direction parallel to a normal vector of a surface wherethe CAAC-OS film is formed or a normal vector of a top surface of theCAAC-OS film, the directions of the c-axes may be different from eachother depending on the shape of the CAAC-OS film (the cross-sectionalshape of the surface where the CAAC-OS film is formed or thecross-sectional shape of the top surface of the CAAC-OS film). Thedirection of c-axis of the crystal part is parallel to a normal vectorof the surface where the CAAC-OS film is formed or a normal vector ofthe surface of the CAAC-OS film upon deposition. The crystal part isformed by deposition or by performing crystallization treatment such asheat treatment after film deposition.

With use of the CAAC-OS film in a transistor, change in electricalcharacteristics of the transistor due to irradiation with visible lightor ultraviolet light can be reduced. Thus, the transistor has highreliability.

There are three methods for obtaining a crystalline oxide semiconductorlayer having c-axis alignment. The first is a method in which an oxidesemiconductor layer is deposited at a temperature(s) higher than orequal to 200° C. and lower than or equal to 500° C. such that the c-axisis substantially perpendicular to its top surface. The second is amethod in which an oxide semiconductor film is deposited thin, and issubjected to heat treatment at a temperature(s) higher than or equal to200° C. and lower than or equal to 700° C., so that the c-axis issubstantially perpendicular to its top surface. The third is a method inwhich a first-layer oxide semiconductor film is deposited thin, and issubjected to heat treatment at a temperature(s) higher than or equal to200° C. and lower than or equal to 700° C., and a second-layer oxidesemiconductor film is deposited thereover, so that the c-axis issubstantially perpendicular to its top surface.

The first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 have thicknessesgreater than or equal to 1 nm and less than or equal to 10 nm(preferably greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 30nm) and can be formed by a sputtering method, a molecular beam epitaxy(MBE) method, a CVD method, a pulse laser deposition method, an atomiclayer deposition (ALD) method, or the like as appropriate. The firstoxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductor layer 102,and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 may be formed using asputtering apparatus which performs film formation with top surfaces ofa plurality of substrates set substantially perpendicular to a topsurface of a sputtering target.

Electrical properties of a transistor using an oxide semiconductor layerare affected by the energy gap of the oxide semiconductor layer. Forexample, the on-state properties (e.g., on-state current andfield-effect mobility) of the transistor using an oxide semiconductorlayer can increase as the energy gap of the oxide semiconductor layergets small, whereas the off-state current of the transistor can decreaseas the energy gap of the oxide semiconductor layer gets large.

By using the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 using a plurality ofoxide semiconductor layers whose energy gaps are different from eachother, the electrical characteristics of the transistor 440 a, 440 b,480 can be adjusted with higher accuracy, providing the transistor 440a, 440 b, 480 with appropriate electrical characteristics.

For example, in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 of thetransistor 480 shown in FIG. 4A, the energy gap of the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 is smaller than those of the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103. Inthat case, the energy gaps of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 can be substantially thesame as each other.

An energy band diagram of FIG. 4A in the thickness direction (E1-E2direction) is shown in FIG. 4C. It is preferable in the transistor 480that respective materials of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101,the second oxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103 be selected so as to be compatible with theenergy band diagram shown in FIG. 4C. However, a sufficient effect canbe provided by forming a buried channel in the conduction band; thus,the energy band diagram is not limited to the energy band diagram havingsteps on its conduction band side and its valence band side as shown inFIG. 4C, and may be an energy band diagram having a step only on itsconduction band side, for example.

For example, an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 3.2eV), an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 2.8 eV), and anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 3.2 eV) are used as thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 in the transistor480, respectively.

Further, as the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 consisting ofthree stacked layers as in the transistor 480, a stack of anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the first oxide semiconductor layer101, an In—Zn-based oxide film serving as the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103; a stack of a Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving asthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101, an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide filmserving as the second oxide semiconductor layer 102, and a Ga—Zn-basedoxide film serving as the third oxide semiconductor layer 103; a stackof a Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101, an In—Zn-based oxide film serving as the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and a Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as thethird oxide semiconductor layer 103; a stack of an In—Ga-based oxidefilm serving as the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and an In—Ga-based oxide film serving as the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103; or a stack of an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide filmserving as the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, an indium oxide(In-based oxide) film serving as the second oxide semiconductor layer102, and an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103 can be used, for example.

The stacked structure in which the second oxide semiconductor layer 102whose energy gap is smaller is sandwiched by the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103whose energy gaps are larger enables the off-state current (leakagecurrent) of the transistor 480 to be reduced.

FIGS. 2A to 2E illustrate an example of a method for manufacturing thetransistor 440 a.

First, a conductive film is formed over the substrate 400 having aninsulating surface, and then, the gate electrode layer 401 is formed bya first photolithography process. A resist mask may be formed by aninkjet method. Formation of the resist mask by an inkjet method involvesno photomask; thus, manufacturing cost can be reduced.

There is no particular limitation on a substrate that can be used as thesubstrate 400 having an insulating surface as long as it has heatresistance enough to withstand heat treatment performed later. Forexample, a glass substrate of barium borosilicate glass,aluminoborosilicate glass, or the like, a ceramic substrate, a quartzsubstrate, or a sapphire substrate can be used. A single crystalsemiconductor substrate or a polycrystalline semiconductor substrate ofsilicon, silicon carbide, or the like; a compound semiconductorsubstrate of silicon germanium or the like; an SOI substrate; or thelike can be used as the substrate 400, or such a substrate with asemiconductor element provided thereover can be used as the substrate400.

The semiconductor device may be manufactured using a flexible substrateas the substrate 400. To manufacture a flexible semiconductor device,the transistor 440 a including the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403may be directly formed over a flexible substrate; or the transistor 440a including the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 may be formed overa substrate, and then separated and transferred to a flexible substrate.To separate the transistor 440 a from the substrate and transfer to theflexible substrate, a separation layer may be provided between thesubstrate and the transistor 440 a including the oxide semiconductorfilm.

An insulating film serving as a base film may be provided between thesubstrate 400 and the gate electrode layer 401. The base film has afunction of preventing diffusion of an impurity element from thesubstrate 400, and can be formed of a single-layer structure or astacked-layer structure using one or more of a silicon nitride film, asilicon oxide film, a silicon nitride oxide film, and a siliconoxynitride film. The base film can be formed by using aluminum oxide,aluminum oxynitride, hafnium oxide, gallium oxide, or a mixed materialthereof. The base film can be formed by a plasma-enhanced CVD method, asputtering method, or the like.

The gate electrode layer 401 can be formed of a single-layer structureor a stacked-layer structure using a metal material such as molybdenum,titanium, tantalum, tungsten, aluminum, copper, neodymium, or scandium,and/or an alloy material which contains any of these materials as a maincomponent by a plasma-enhanced CVD method, a sputtering method, or thelike. Alternatively, a semiconductor film typified by a polycrystallinesilicon film doped with an impurity element such as phosphorus, or asilicide film such as a nickel silicide film may be used as the gateelectrode layer 401. The gate electrode layer 401 has either asingle-layer structure or a stacked-layer structure.

The gate electrode layer 401 can also be formed using a conductivematerial such as indium tin oxide, indium oxide containing tungstenoxide, indium zinc oxide containing tungsten oxide, indium oxidecontaining titanium oxide, indium tin oxide containing titanium oxide,indium zinc oxide, or indium tin oxide to which silicon oxide is added.It is also possible that the gate electrode layer 401 has astacked-layer structure of the above conductive material and the abovemetal material.

The gate electrode layer 401 may have a stacked-layer structure onelayer of which is formed using an In—Sn-based metal oxide, anIn—Sn—Zn-based metal oxide, an In—Al—Zn-based metal oxide, aSn—Ga—Zn-based metal oxide, an Al—Ga—Zn-based metal oxide, aSn—Al—Zn-based metal oxide, an In—Zn-based metal oxide, a Sn—Zn-basedmetal oxide, an Al—Zn-based metal oxide, an In-based metal oxide, aSn-based metal oxide, or a Zn-based metal oxide.

As one layer of the gate electrode layer 401 which is in contact withthe gate insulating film 402, a metal oxide containing nitrogen,specifically, an In—Ga—Zn—O film containing nitrogen, an In—Sn—O filmcontaining nitrogen, an In—Ga—O film containing nitrogen, an In—Zn—Ofilm containing nitrogen, a Sn—O film containing nitrogen, an In—O filmcontaining nitrogen, or a metal nitride (InN, SnN, or the like) film canbe used. These films each have a work function of 5 eV or higher,preferably 5.5 eV or higher, which enables the threshold voltage of thetransistor to take a positive value when used as the gate electrodelayer, so that a switching element of co-called normally-off type can berealized.

For example, it is preferable that the gate electrode layer 401 have astacked-layer structure and, as one layer in the stacked-layerstructure, an oxynitride film containing indium, gallium, and zinc whichare materials having a high work function be used. The oxynitride filmcontaining indium, gallium, and zinc is formed in a mixed gas atmospherecontaining argon and nitrogen.

For example, the gate electrode layer 401 can have a stacked-layerstructure in which a copper film, a tungsten film, and an oxynitridefilm containing indium, gallium, and zinc are stacked in this order fromthe substrate 400 side or a stacked-layer structure in which a tungstenfilm, a tungsten nitride film, a copper film, and a titanium film arestacked in this order from the substrate 400 side.

Next, the gate insulating film 402 is formed over the gate electrodelayer 401 (see FIG. 2A). It is preferable that the gate insulating film402 be formed in consideration of the size of the transistor and thestep coverage with the gate insulating film 402.

The gate insulating film 402 can have a thickness greater than or equalto 1 nm and less than or equal to 20 nm and can be formed by asputtering method, an MBE method, a CVD method, a pulse laser depositionmethod, an ALD method, or the like as appropriate. The gate insulatingfilm 402 may be formed using a sputtering apparatus which performs filmdeposition with top surfaces of a plurality of substrates setsubstantially perpendicular to a top surface of a sputtering target.

The gate insulating film 402 can be formed using a silicon oxide film, agallium oxide film, an aluminum oxide film, a silicon nitride film, asilicon oxynitride film, an aluminum oxynitride film, or a siliconnitride oxide film.

The gate insulating film 402 can also be formed using a high-k materialsuch as hafnium oxide, yttrium oxide, hafnium silicate (HfSi_(x)O_(y)(x>0, y>0)), hafnium silicate to which nitrogen is added (HfSiO_(x)N_(y)(x>0, y>0)), hafnium aluminate (HfAl_(x)O_(y) (x>0, y>0)), or lanthanumoxide, whereby gate leakage current can be reduced.

The gate insulating film 402 has either a single-layer structure or astacked-layer structure; however, an oxide insulating film is preferablyused as the film to be in contact with the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403. In this embodiment, a silicon oxide film is used as the gateinsulating film 402.

In the case where the gate insulating film 402 has a stacked-layerstructure, for example, a silicon oxide film, an In—Hf—Zn-based oxidefilm, and the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 may be sequentiallystacked over the gate electrode layer 401; a silicon oxide film, anIn—Zr—Zn-based oxide film having an atomic ratio of In:Zr:Zn=1:1:1, andthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 may be sequentially stackedover the gate electrode layer 401; or a silicon oxide film, anIn—Gd—Zn-based oxide film having an atomic ratio of In:Gd:Zn=1:1:1, andthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 may be sequentially stackedover the gate electrode layer 401.

Next, a stacked layer 493 of oxide semiconductor films including a firstoxide semiconductor film 191 and a second oxide semiconductor film 192is formed over the gate insulating film 402 (see FIG. 2B).

The gate insulating film 402, which is in contact with the stacked layer493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403), preferably contains oxygen which exceeds at least thestoichiometric composition ratio in the film (the bulk). For example, inthe case where a silicon oxide film is used as the gate insulating film402, the composition formula is SiO_(2+α) (α>0). With such a film as thegate insulating film 402, oxygen can be supplied to the stacked layer493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403), leading to favorable characteristics. By supply of oxygen tothe stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403), oxygen vacancies in the film can becompensated.

For example, an insulating film containing a large amount of (an excessof) oxygen, which is a supply source of oxygen, may be provided as thegate insulating film 402 so as to be in contact with the stacked layer493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403), whereby oxygen can be supplied from the gate insulating film402 to the stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403). Heat treatment may be performed in thestate where the stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (theoxide semiconductor stacked layer 403) and the gate insulating film 402are at least partly in contact with each other to supply oxygen to thestacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403).

In order that hydrogen or water will be not contained in the stackedlayer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the first oxidesemiconductor film 191 and the second oxide semiconductor film 192) asmuch as possible in the formation step of the stacked layer 493 of theoxide semiconductor films (the first oxide semiconductor film 191 andthe second oxide semiconductor film 192), it is preferable to heat thesubstrate provided with the gate insulating film 402 in a preheatingchamber in a sputtering apparatus as a pretreatment for formation of thestacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the first oxidesemiconductor film 191 and the second oxide semiconductor film 192) sothat impurities such as hydrogen and water adsorbed to the substrateand/or the gate insulating film 402 are eliminated and evacuated. As anexhaustion unit provided in the preheating chamber, a cryopump ispreferable.

Planarizing treatment may be performed on the region of the gateinsulating film 402 which is in contact with the stacked layer 493 ofthe oxide semiconductor films (the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403). As the planarizing treatment, polishing treatment (e.g., chemicalmechanical polishing (CMP)), dry-etching treatment, or plasma treatmentcan be used, though there is no particular limitation on the planarizingtreatment.

As the plasma treatment, a reverse sputtering in which an argon gas isintroduced and plasma is produced can be performed, for example. Thereverse sputtering is a method in which voltage is applied to asubstrate side with use of an RF power source in an argon atmosphere andplasma is generated in the vicinity of the substrate so that a substratesurface is modified. Instead of the argon atmosphere, a nitrogenatmosphere, a helium atmosphere, an oxygen atmosphere, or the like maybe used. The reverse sputtering can remove particle substances (alsoreferred to as particles or dust) attached to the top surface of thegate insulating film 402.

As the planarizing treatment, polishing treatment, dry-etchingtreatment, or plasma treatment may be performed plural times and/or incombination. Further, the order of process steps of such a combinationis not particularly limited and may be set as appropriate in accordancewith roughness of the top surface of the gate insulating film 402.

The first oxide semiconductor film 191 and the second oxidesemiconductor film 192 each are preferably deposited under a conditionsuch that much oxygen is contained (for example, by a sputtering methodin an atmosphere of 100% oxygen) so as to be a film containing muchoxygen (preferably having a region containing an excess of oxygen ascompared to the stoichiometric composition ratio of the oxidesemiconductor in a crystalline state).

As a target used for forming the first oxide semiconductor film 191 by asputtering method in this embodiment, for example, an oxide targethaving a composition ratio of In:Sn:Zn=1:2:2, 2:1:3, 1:1:1, or 20:45:35[molar ratio] is used to form an In—Sn—Zn—O film.

Further, in this embodiment, as a target used for forming the secondoxide semiconductor film 192 by a sputtering method, for example, anoxide target having a composition ratio of In₂O₃:Ga₂O₃:ZnO=1:1:2 [molarratio] is used to form an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film. Without limitationto the materials and the composition described above, for example, ametal oxide target having a composition ratio of In₂O₃:Ga₂O₃:ZnO=1:1:1[molar ratio] may be used.

The filling factor of the metal oxide target is greater than or equal to90% and less than or equal to 100%, preferably greater than or equal to95% and less than or equal to 99.9%. Such a metal oxide target with highfilling factor enables deposition of a dense oxide semiconductor film.

It is preferable that a high-purity gas from which an impurity such ashydrogen, water, a hydroxyl group, or hydride is removed be used as asputtering gas for the deposition of each of the first oxidesemiconductor film 191 and the second oxide semiconductor film 192.

The substrate is held in a deposition chamber kept under reducedpressure. Then, a sputtering gas in which hydrogen and water are removedis introduced into the deposition chamber from which remaining water isbeing removed, so that the stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductorfilms (the first oxide semiconductor film 191 and the second oxidesemiconductor film 192) is formed over the substrate 400 with the use ofthe target. To remove water remaining in the deposition chamber, anentrapment vacuum pump such as a cryopump, an ion pump, or a titaniumsublimation pump is preferably used. As an exhaustion unit, a turbomolecular pump to which a cold trap is added may be used. In thedeposition chamber which is evacuated with the cryopump, for example, ahydrogen atom, a compound containing a hydrogen atom, such as water(H₂O), (further preferably, also a compound containing a carbon atom),and the like are removed, whereby the concentration of impurities in thestacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the first oxidesemiconductor film 191 and the second oxide semiconductor film 192) canbe reduced.

The gate insulating film 402 and the stacked layer 493 of the oxidesemiconductor films (the first oxide semiconductor film 191 and thesecond oxide semiconductor film 192) are preferably formed in successionwithout exposure to the air. According to successive formation of thegate insulating film 402 and the stacked layer 493 of the oxidesemiconductor films (the first oxide semiconductor film 191 and thesecond oxide semiconductor film 192) without exposure to the air,impurities such as hydrogen and water can be prevented from beingadsorbed onto a top surface of the gate insulating film 402.

For example, the CAAC-OS film is formed by a sputtering method with apolycrystalline oxide semiconductor sputtering target. When ions collidewith the sputtering target, a crystal region included in the sputteringtarget may be separated from the target along an a-b plane; in otherwords, a sputtered particle having a plane parallel to an a-b plane(flat-plate-like sputtered particle or pellet-like sputtered particle)may flake off from the sputtering target. In that case, theflat-plate-like sputtered particle reaches a substrate while maintainingtheir crystal state, whereby the CAAC-OS film can be formed.

For the deposition of the CAAC-OS film, the following conditions arepreferably used.

By reducing the amount of impurities entering the CAAC-OS film duringthe deposition, the crystal state can be prevented from being broken bythe impurities. For example, the concentration of impurities (e.g.,hydrogen, water, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen) which exist in thedeposition chamber may be reduced. Furthermore, the concentration ofimpurities in a deposition gas may be reduced. Specifically, adeposition gas whose dew point is −80° C. or lower, preferably −100° C.or lower is used.

By increasing the substrate heating temperature during the deposition,migration of a sputtered particle is likely to occur after the sputteredparticle reaches a substrate surface. Specifically, the substrateheating temperature during the deposition is higher than or equal to100° C. and lower than or equal to 740° C., preferably higher than orequal to 200° C. and lower than or equal to 500° C. By increasing thesubstrate heating temperature during the deposition, when theflat-plate-like sputtered particle reaches the substrate, migrationoccurs on the substrate surface, so that a flat plane of theflat-plate-like sputtered particle is attached to the substrate.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the proportion of oxygen in thedeposition gas be increased and the power be optimized in order toreduce plasma damage at the deposition. The proportion of oxygen in thedeposition gas is 30 vol % or higher, preferably 100 vol %.

As an example of the sputtering target, an In—Ga—Zn—O compound target isdescribed below.

The In—Ga—Zn—O compound target, which is polycrystalline, is made bymixing InO_(X) powder, GaO_(Y) powder, and ZnO_(Z) powder in apredetermined molar ratio, applying pressure, and performing heattreatment at a temperature higher than or equal to 1000° C. and lowerthan or equal to 1500° C. Note that X, Y and Z are given positivenumbers. Here, the predetermined molar ratio of InO_(X) powder toGaO_(Y) powder and ZnO_(Z) powder is, for example, 2:2:1, 8:4:3, 3:1:1,1:1:1, 4:2:3, or 3:1:2. The kinds of powder and the molar ratio formixing powder may be determined as appropriate depending on the desiredsputtering target.

The stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (the first oxidesemiconductor film 191 and the second oxide semiconductor film 192) isprocessed into the island-shaped oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403(the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102) by a photolithography process (see FIG. 2C).

A resist mask used for forming the island-shaped oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 may be formed by an inkjet method. Formation of theresist mask by an inkjet method involves no photomask; thus,manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The etching of the oxide semiconductor film may be dry etching, wetetching, or both dry etching and wet etching. As an etchant used for wetetching of the oxide semiconductor film, for example, a mixed solutionof phosphoric acid, acetic acid, and nitric acid, or the like can beused. Further, ITO07N (produced by KANTO CHEMICAL CO., INC.) may be usedas well.

In this embodiment, the first oxide semiconductor film 191 and thesecond oxide semiconductor film 192 are etched with the same mask,whereby the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 are formed such that respective edges of theirside surfaces are aligned with each other. The side surfaces (edges) ofthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 are exposed in the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403.

In any embodiment of the present invention, the oxide semiconductorstacked layer is either processed or not processed into an island shape.

In the case where a contact hole(s) is/are formed in the gate insulatingfilm 402, the step of forming the contact hole(s) can be performed inprocessing the first oxide semiconductor film 191 and the second oxidesemiconductor film 192.

As shown in the transistor 449 shown in FIG. 3C, heat treatment may beperformed on the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403, so that themixed region 105 may be formed between the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102. The heattreatment may performed at a temperature at which the elements in thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102 can be dispersed by heat under such a condition that the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer102 do not form a mixed region whose composition is uniform all over theentire region of the oxide semiconductor stack 403.

The heat treatment can be performed under reduced pressure, a nitrogenatmosphere, an oxygen atmosphere, the air (ultra-dry air), a rare gasatmosphere, or the like. The heat treatment may be performed pluraltimes at different conditions (temperatures, atmospheres, times, or thelike). For example, the heat treatment may be performed at 650° C. undera nitrogen atmosphere for 1 hour and then under an oxygen atmosphere for1 hour.

The step of performing the heat treatment for forming the mixed region105 is not particularly limited as long as it is after the formation ofthe first oxide semiconductor film 191 and the second oxidesemiconductor film 192; it may be performed on the first oxidesemiconductor film 191 and the second oxide semiconductor film 192 intheir film state or on the island-shaped first oxide semiconductor layer101 and second oxide semiconductor layer 102 as in this embodiment. Inaddition, the heat treatment can also serve as other heat treatmentperformed in the manufacturing process of the transistor, for example,heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation or heat treatment forcrystallization.

Further, heat treatment may be performed on the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 (the stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductorfilms) in order to remove excess hydrogen (including water and ahydroxyl group) (to perform dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment).The temperature of the heat treatment is higher than or equal to 300° C.and lower than or equal to 700° C., or lower than the strain point of asubstrate. The heat treatment can be performed under reduced pressure, anitrogen atmosphere, or the like. For example, the substrate is put inan electric furnace which is a kind of heat treatment apparatus, and theoxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 (the stacked layer 493 of theoxide semiconductor films) is subjected to heat treatment at 450° C. forone hour in a nitrogen atmosphere.

Further, the heat treatment apparatus is not limited to the electricfurnace, and any device for heating an object by heat conduction or heatradiation from a heating element such as a resistance heating elementmay also be used. For example, an RTA (rapid thermal anneal) apparatussuch as a GRTA (gas rapid thermal anneal) apparatus or an LRTA (lamprapid thermal anneal) apparatus can be used. The LRTA apparatus is anapparatus for heating an object by radiation of light (anelectromagnetic wave) emitted from a lamp such as a halogen lamp, ametal halide lamp, a xenon arc lamp, a carbon arc lamp, a high pressuresodium lamp, or a high pressure mercury lamp. The GRTA apparatus is anapparatus for heat treatment with a high-temperature gas. As thehigh-temperature gas, an inert gas which does not react with an objectby heat treatment, such as nitrogen or a rare gas like argon, is used.

For example, as the heat treatment, GRTA may be performed as follows:the substrate is put in an inert gas heated to high temperature of 650°C. to 700° C., heated for several minutes, and taken out of the inertgas.

In the heat treatment, it is preferable that water, hydrogen, and thelike be not contained in nitrogen or a rare gas such as helium, neon, orargon. The purity of nitrogen or the rare gas such as helium, neon, orargon which is introduced into the heat treatment apparatus ispreferably 6N (99.9999%) or more, further preferably 7N (99.99999%) ormore (that is, the impurity concentration is preferably 1 ppm or less,further preferably 0.1 ppm or less).

In addition, after the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 (thestacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films) is heated by theheat treatment, a high-purity oxygen gas, a high-purity N₂O gas, orultra dry air (the water amount is less than or equal to 20 ppm (−55° C.by conversion into a dew point), preferably less than or equal to 1 ppm,further preferably less than or equal to 10 ppb according to themeasurement with a dew point meter of a cavity ring down laserspectroscopy (CRDS) system) may be introduced into the same furnace. Itis preferable that water, hydrogen, or the like be not included in theoxygen gas or the N₂O gas. The purity of the oxygen gas or the N₂O gaswhich is introduced into the heat treatment apparatus is preferably 6Nor more, further preferably 7N or more (i.e., the impurity concentrationin the oxygen gas or the N₂O gas is preferably 1 ppm or less, furtherpreferably 0.1 ppm or less). The oxygen gas or the N₂O gas acts tosupply oxygen that is a main constituent material of the oxidesemiconductor and that is reduced by the step for removing an impurityfor dehydration or dehydrogenation, so that the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 (the stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductorfilms) can be a high-purified, i-type (intrinsic) oxide semiconductorstacked layer.

The heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation can be performedanytime in the manufacturing process of the transistor 440 a afterformation of the stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films (thefirst oxide semiconductor film 191 and the second oxide semiconductorfilm 192) before formation of the insulating film 407. For example, theheat treatment can be performed after formation of the stacked layer 493of the oxide semiconductor films (the first oxide semiconductor film 191and the second oxide semiconductor film 192) or after formation of theisland-shaped oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 (the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102).

The heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation may be performedplural times, and may also serve as another heat treatment. For example,the heat treatment may be performed twice; after formation of the firstoxide semiconductor film 191 and after formation of the second oxidesemiconductor film 192.

The heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation is preferablyperformed before the oxide semiconductor stacked layer is processed intoan island shape to be the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 (thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102) while the stacked layer 493 of the oxide semiconductor films(the first oxide semiconductor film 191 and the second oxidesemiconductor film 192) covers the gate insulating film 402 becauseoxygen included in the gate insulating film 402 can be prevented frombeing released by the heat treatment.

Next, a conductive film for forming a source electrode layer and a drainelectrode layer (including a wiring formed of the same layer as thesource electrode layer and the drain electrode layer) is formed over thegate insulating film 402 and the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.The conductive film is formed of a material that can withstand heattreatment performed later. As the conductive film used for the sourceelectrode layer and the drain electrode layer, for example, a metal filmcontaining an element selected from Al, Cr, Cu, Ta, Ti, Mo, and W, ametal nitride film containing any of the above elements as its component(a titanium nitride film, a molybdenum nitride film, or a tungstennitride film), or the like can be used. A metal film having a highmelting point made of Ti, Mo, W, or the like or a metal nitride filmmade of any of these elements (a titanium nitride film, a molybdenumnitride film, or a tungsten nitride film) may be stacked on one of orboth of a lower side and an upper side of a metal film made of Al, Cu,or the like. Alternatively, the conductive film used for the sourceelectrode layer and the drain electrode layer may be formed of aconductive metal oxide. As the conductive metal oxide, indium oxide(In₂O₃), tin oxide (SnO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium oxide-tin oxide(In₂O₃—SnO₂), indium oxide-zinc oxide (In₂O₃—ZnO), or any of these metaloxide materials in which silicon oxide is contained can be used.

A resist mask is formed over the conductive film by a photolithographyprocess, and is selectively etched, so that the source electrode layer405 a and the drain electrode layer 405 b are formed. Then, the resistmask is removed.

Since the side surfaces (edges) of the first oxide semiconductor layer101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 are exposed in theoxide semiconductor stacked layer 403, the source electrode layer 405 aand the drain electrode layer 405 b are formed in contact withrespective parts of the side surfaces of the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102.

In order to reduce the number of photomasks used in a photolithographyprocess and reduce the number of photolithography processes, an etchingstep may be performed with the use of a multi-tone mask which is alight-exposure mask through which light is transmitted to have aplurality of intensities. A resist mask formed with the use of amulti-tone mask has a plurality of thicknesses and further can bechanged in shape by etching; therefore, the resist mask can be used in aplurality of etching steps for processing into different patterns.Therefore, one multi-tone mask enables formation of a resist maskcorresponding to at least two kinds of different patterns. Thus, thenumber of light-exposure masks can be reduced and the number ofphotolithography processes can be reduced accordingly, leading tosimplification of a manufacturing process.

It is desired that the etching conditions of the conductive film beoptimized so as not to etch and cut the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403. However, it is difficult to obtain etching conditions inwhich only the conductive film is etched and the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 is not etched at all; in some cases, part of the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 is etched off through the etching of theconductive film, so that a groove (depressed portion) is formed in theoxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

In this embodiment, a Ti film is used as the conductive film and anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide semiconductor is used for the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403, an ammonium hydrogen peroxide mixture (a mixture ofammonia, water, and hydrogen peroxide) is used as the etchant.

Through the above-described process, the transistor 440 a of thisembodiment can be manufactured (see FIG. 2D). By using the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 using the plurality of oxidesemiconductor layers whose energy gaps are different from each other(the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102), electrical characteristics of the transistor440 a, 440 b can be adjusted with high accuracy, providing thetransistor 440 a, 440 b with appropriate electrical characteristics.

Next, the insulating film 407 is formed in contact with part of theoxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 (see FIG. 2E).

The insulating film 407 can be formed by a plasma-enhanced CVD method, asputtering method, an evaporation method, or the like. As the insulatingfilm 407, an inorganic insulating film such as a silicon oxide film, asilicon oxynitride film, an aluminum oxynitride film, or a gallium oxidefilm can be used as a typical example.

Alternatively, as the insulating film 407, an aluminum oxide film, ahafnium oxide film, a magnesium oxide film, a zirconium oxide film, alanthanum oxide film, a barium oxide film, or a metal nitride film(e.g., an aluminum nitride film) can be used.

The insulating film 407 has either a single-layer structure or astacked-layer structure; for example, a stacked layer of a silicon oxidefilm and an aluminum oxide film can be used.

The aluminum oxide film which can be used as the insulating film 407provided over the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 has a highblocking effect by which both of oxygen and impurities such as hydrogenor water is prevented from being passed through the film.

Therefore, in and after the manufacturing process, the aluminum oxidefilm functions as a protective film for preventing entry of an impuritysuch as hydrogen or water, which causes a change, into the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 and release of oxygen, which is a mainconstituent material of the oxide semiconductor, from the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403.

The insulating film 407 is preferably formed by a method such as asputtering method, in which an impurity such as water or hydrogen doesnot enter the insulating film 407. It is preferable that an insulatingfilm in the insulating film 407 which is in contact with the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 include an excess of oxygen because itserves as a supply source of oxygen to the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403.

In this embodiment, a silicon oxide film with a thickness of 100 nm isformed as the insulating film 407 by a sputtering method. The siliconoxide film can be formed by a sputtering method under a rare gas (atypical example thereof is argon) atmosphere, an oxygen atmosphere, or amixed atmosphere of a rare gas and oxygen.

Alternatively, in the case where the insulating film 407 has astacked-layer structure, for example, an In—Hf—Zn-based oxide film and asilicon oxide film may be stacked in this order over the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403; an In—Zr—Zn-based oxide film whoseatomic ratio is In:Zr:Zn=1:1:1 and a silicon oxide film may be stackedin this order over the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403; or anIn—Gd—Zn-based oxide film whose atomic ratio is In:Gd:Zn=1:1:1 and asilicon oxide film may be stacked in this order over the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403.

Similarly to the formation of the oxide semiconductor film, to removeresidual water from the deposition chamber for the insulating film 407,an entrapment vacuum pump (such as a cryopump) is preferably used. Bydepositing the insulating film 407 in the deposition chamber evacuatedusing a cryopump, the impurity concentration of the insulating film 407can be reduced. As the evacuation unit for removing water remaining inthe deposition chamber for the insulating film 407, a turbo molecularpump provided with a cold trap may be used as well.

A high-purity gas from which impurities such as hydrogen, water, ahydroxyl group, and hydride are removed is preferably used as asputtering gas for the formation of the insulating film 407.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a planarization insulating film416 may be formed over a transistor 440 c, 440 d in order to reducesurface roughness due to the transistor. As the planarization insulatingfilm 416, an organic material such as polyimide, an acrylic resin, or abenzocyclobutene-based resin can be used. Other than such organicmaterials, it is also possible to use a low-dielectric constant material(a low-k material) or the like. The planarization insulating film 416may be formed by stacking a plurality of insulating films formed usingthese materials.

Further, respective openings reaching the source electrode layer 405 aand the drain electrode layer 405 b may be formed in the insulating film407 and the planarization insulating film 416, and a wiring layerelectrically connected to the source electrode layer 405 a and/or thedrain electrode layer 405 b may be formed in the opening(s). The wiringlayer enables connection to another transistor, whereby a variety ofcircuits can be configured.

Parts of the source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer405 b may be over-etched at the etching step for forming the openingsreaching the source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer405 b. The source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer405 b may have a stacked-layer structure in which a conductive film alsofunctioning as an etching stopper in forming the openings is included.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the transistor 440 c is an example in which asource electrode layer and a drain electrode layer have a stacked-layerstructure, in which a source electrode layer 404 a and a sourceelectrode layer 405 a are stacked as the source electrode layer and adrain electrode layer 404 b and a drain electrode layer 405 b arestacked as the drain electrode layer. As shown in the transistor 440 c,respective openings reaching the source electrode layer 404 a and thedrain electrode layer 404 b may be formed in the insulating film 416,the insulating film 407, and the source electrode layer 405 a or thedrain electrode layer 405 b, and a wiring layer 465 a and a wiring layer465 b electrically connecting the source electrode layer 404 a and thedrain electrode layer 404 b, respectively, may be formed in theirrespective openings.

In the transistor 440 c, the source electrode layer 404 a and drainelectrode layer 404 b each also function as an etching stopper informing the openings. A tungsten film, a tantalum nitride film, or thelike can be used as any of the source electrode layer 404 a and thedrain electrode layer 404 b, and a copper film, an aluminum film, or thelike can be used as any of the source electrode layer 405 a and thedrain electrode layer 405 b.

As shown in the transistor 440 d in FIG. 3B, the source electrode layer405 a and the drain electrode layer 405 b may be provided only directlyabove the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 so as not to be incontact with the side surface of the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403. An etching step with a resist mask formed using a multi-tone maskenables the structure shown in the transistor 440 d to be formed. Such astructure leads to further reduction in leakage current (parasiticchannel) of the source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrodelayer 405 b of the transistor 440 d.

The wiring layer 465 a and the wiring layer 465 b each can be formedusing a material(s) and a method similar to those of the gate electrodelayer 401, the source electrode layer 405 a, or the drain electrodelayer 405 b. For example, as any of the wiring layers 465 a and 465 b, astacked layer of a tantalum nitride film and a copper film, a stackedlayer of a tantalum nitride film and a tungsten film, or the like can beused.

In the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 which is highly purifiedand whose oxygen vacancies are repaired, impurities such as hydrogen andwater are sufficiently removed; the hydrogen concentration in the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 is less than or equal to 5×10¹⁹atoms/cm³, preferably less than or equal to 5×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³. Thehydrogen concentration in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 ismeasured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).

The current value in the off state (off-state current value) of thetransistor 440 a using the highly purified oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 containing an excess of oxygen that repairs an oxygen vacancyaccording to this embodiment is less than or equal to 100 zA permicrometer of channel width at room temperature (1 zA(zeptoampere)=1×10⁻²¹A), preferably less than or equal to 10 zA/μm,further preferably less than or equal to 1 zA/μm, still furtherpreferably less than or equal to 100 yA/μm.

Accordingly, semiconductor devices for a variety of purposes such ashigh functionality, high reliability, and low power consumption can beprovided.

Embodiment 2

In this embodiment, another embodiment of a semiconductor device and amethod for manufacturing the semiconductor device is described withreference to FIGS. 7A to 7D, FIGS. 8A to 8D, and FIGS. 11A and 11B. Theabove embodiment can be applied to the same portion as, a portion havinga function similar to, or a step similar to that in the aboveembodiment; thus, repetitive description is omitted. In addition,detailed description of the same portions is also omitted.

Described in this embodiment is an example in which an upper oxidesemiconductor layer covers the side surface of a lower oxidesemiconductor layer in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer.

A transistor 340 shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C is an example of an invertedstaggered, bottom-gate transistor. FIG. 7A is a plane view; FIG. 7B is across-sectional diagram along dashed line X-Y in FIG. 7A; FIG. 7C is across-sectional diagram along dashed line V-W in FIG. 7A.

As shown in FIG. 7B, which is the cross-sectional diagram in the channellength direction, the transistor 340 includes the gate electrode layer401, the gate insulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102 whose energy gaps are different from eachother, the source electrode layer 405 a, and the drain electrode layer405 b, which are provided in this order over the substrate 400 having aninsulating surface. The insulating film 407 is formed over thetransistor 340.

The first oxide semiconductor layer 101 is provided on and in contactwith the gate insulating film 402. The second oxide semiconductor layer102 covers a top and side surfaces of the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101, and the peripheral edge of the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102 is in contact with the gate insulating film 402. The structurein which the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 is in contact withneither the source electrode layer 405 a nor the drain electrode layer405 b leads to reduction in occurrence of leakage current (parasiticchannel) of the source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrodelayer 405 b of the transistor 340.

FIG. 7C is the cross-sectional diagram in the channel width direction,in which like FIG. 7B, the peripheral edge (side surface) of the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 is covered with the peripheral edge of thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102 and the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 is not in contact with the insulating film 407.

Respective energy gaps of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 andthe second oxide semiconductor layer 102 are different from each other.In the example described in this embodiment, respective compositions ofthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 are different from each other and the energy gapof the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 is larger than that of thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101.

FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrates a transistor 380 a in which a stacked layerconsisting of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 isused to form the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

The transistor 380 a shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C is an example of aninverted staggered, bottom-gate transistor. FIG. 8A is a plane view;FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional diagram along dashed line X-Y in FIG. 8A;FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional diagram along dashed line V-W in FIG. 8A.

As shown in FIG. 8B, which is the cross-sectional diagram in the channellength direction, the transistor 380 a includes the gate electrode layer401, the gate insulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103,the source electrode layer 405 a, and the drain electrode layer 405 b,which are provided in this order over the substrate 400 having aninsulating surface. The insulating film 407 is formed over thetransistor 380 a.

The first oxide semiconductor layer 101 is provided on and in contactwith the gate insulating film 402. The second oxide semiconductor layer102 is stacked over the first oxide semiconductor layer 101. The thirdoxide semiconductor layer 103 covers the side surface of the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and a top and side surfaces of the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and the peripheral edge of the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103 is in contact with the gate insulating film 402.The structure in which each of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 is in contact with neitherthe source electrode layer 405 a nor the drain electrode layer 405 bleads to reduction in occurrence of leakage current (parasitic channel)of the source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer 405 bof the transistor 380 a.

FIG. 8C is the cross-sectional diagram in the channel width direction,in which like FIG. 8B, the peripheral edges (side surfaces) of the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer102 are covered with the peripheral edge of the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103 and neither the first oxide semiconductor layer101 nor the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 is in contact with theinsulating film 407.

Respective energy gaps of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 andthe second oxide semiconductor layer 102 are different from each other.In the example described in this embodiment, the energy gap of thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102 is smaller than that of the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101.

Respective energy gaps of the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 andthe third oxide semiconductor layer 103 are different from each other.In the example described in this embodiment, the energy gap of the thirdoxide semiconductor layer 103 is larger than that of the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102.

In this embodiment, the energy gap of the third oxide semiconductorlayer 103 is substantially the same as that of the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101.

For example, an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 3.2eV), an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 2.8 eV), and anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film (with an energy gap of 3.2 eV) are used as thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 in the transistor380 a, respectively.

Further, as the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 consisting ofthree stacked layers as in the transistor 380 a, a stack of anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the first oxide semiconductor layer101, an In—Zn-based oxide film serving as the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103; a stack of a Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving asthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101, an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide filmserving as the second oxide semiconductor layer 102, and a Ga—Zn-basedoxide film serving as the third oxide semiconductor layer 103; a stackof a Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101, an In—Zn-based oxide film serving as the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and a Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as thethird oxide semiconductor layer 103; a stack of an In—Ga-based oxidefilm serving as the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and an In—Ga-based oxide film serving as the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103; or a stack of an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide filmserving as the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, an indium oxide(In-based oxide) film serving as the second oxide semiconductor layer102, and an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film serving as the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103 can be used, for example.

Further, the periphery of the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 maybe covered with the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the thirdoxide semiconductor layer 103, whereby an increase in oxygen vacanciesin the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 can be suppressed, resultingin a structure of the transistor 380 a in which the threshold voltage isclose to zero. Also in that case, since the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102 functions as a buried channel, the channel formation regioncan be distanced from the interface of any insulating film, wherebyinterface scattering of carriers is reduced, leading to a highfield-effect mobility.

In the transistor 380 b shown in FIG. 11A, part of the gate insulatingfilm 402 is etched to be thin with the same mask as a mask used forprocessing the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 into an island shape (or with the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102after being processed into an island shape, as a mask). In thetransistor 380 b, the gate insulating film 402 is thicker in its regionwhich overlaps with either the island-shaped first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 or the island-shaped second oxide semiconductor layer 102 thanin its other region (region which overlaps with neither of them).Through the etching of part of the gate insulating film 402 inprocessing the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 into the island shape, an etching residue suchas a residue of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 can be removed,reducing occurrence of leakage current.

In a transistor 380 c shown in FIG. 11B, the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 is formed using 3 photolithography processes. The oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 included in the transistor 380 c isformed as follows: a first oxide semiconductor film is deposited andprocessed using a first mask to form the island-shaped first oxidesemiconductor layer 101; a second oxide semiconductor film is depositedover the island-shaped first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and processedusing a second mask to form the island-shaped second oxide semiconductorlayer 102; and a third oxide semiconductor film is deposited over theisland-shaped first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the island-shapedsecond oxide semiconductor layer 102 and processed using a third mask toform the island-shaped third oxide semiconductor layer 103.

The transistor 380 c has a structure in which the side surface of thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101 is protruded beyond the side surfaceof the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 and is an example in whichthe third oxide semiconductor layer 103 is in contact with part of thetop surface of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101.

Further, a transistor 418 which has a bottom-gate structure of achannel-protective type is shown in FIG. 9B as another embodiment of asemiconductor device.

As shown in FIG. 9B, which is a cross-sectional diagram in the channellength direction, the transistor 418 includes the gate electrode layer401, the gate insulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103,the insulating film 427 functioning as a channel protective film, thesource electrode layer 405 a, and the drain electrode layer 405 b, whichare provided in this order over the substrate 400 having an insulatingsurface. The insulating film 409 is formed over the transistor 418.

The first oxide semiconductor layer 101 is provided on and in contactwith the gate insulating film 402. The second oxide semiconductor layer102 is stacked over the first oxide semiconductor layer 101. The thirdoxide semiconductor layer 103 covers the side surface of the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 and the top and side surfaces of the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102, and the peripheral edge of the thirdoxide semiconductor layer 103 is in contact with the gate insulatingfilm 402. The structure in which each of the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 is in contactwith neither the source electrode layer 405 a nor the drain electrodelayer 405 b leads to reduction in occurrence of leakage current(parasitic channel) of the source electrode layer 405 a and the drainelectrode layer 405 b of the transistor 418.

Further, a transistor 438 which has a bottom-gate structure is shown inFIG. 10B as another embodiment of a semiconductor device.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the transistor 438 includes the gate electrodelayer 401, the gate insulating film 402, the source electrode layer 405a, the drain electrode layer 405 b, and the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer103, which are provided in this order over the substrate 400 having aninsulating surface. The insulating film 407 is formed over thetransistor 438.

The transistor 438 has the structure in which the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductorlayer 103 is provided over the source electrode layer 405 a and thedrain electrode layer 405 b. At least one of their respective energygaps of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 isdifferent from the other.

The first oxide semiconductor layer 101 is provided on and in contactwith the source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer 405b. The second oxide semiconductor layer 102 is stacked over the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101. The third oxide semiconductor layer 103covers the side surface of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 andthe top and side surfaces of the second oxide semiconductor layer 102,and the peripheral edge of the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 is incontact with the source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrodelayer 405 b.

As described above, the shape of each stacked oxide semiconductor layermay differ depending on the oxide semiconductor layer, and the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer can have a variety of shapes and a varietyof structures.

Accordingly, semiconductor devices for a variety of purposes such ashigh functionality, high reliability, and low power consumption can beprovided.

This embodiment can be implemented combining with another embodiment asappropriate.

Embodiment 3

In this embodiment, another embodiment of a semiconductor device and amethod for manufacturing the semiconductor device is described withreference to FIGS. 5A to 5D. The above embodiment can be applied to thesame portion as, a portion having a function similar to, or a stepsimilar to that in the above embodiment; thus, repetitive description isomitted. In addition, detailed description of the same portions is alsoomitted.

Described in this embodiment is an example in which in a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, oxygen (which includes at least one of an oxygenradical, an oxygen atom, and an oxygen ion) is added to the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer to supply oxygen to the film after the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer is dehydrated or dehydrogenated.

The dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment may accompany eliminationof oxygen which is a main constituent material of an oxide semiconductorto lead to a reduction in oxygen. An oxygen vacancy exists in a portionwhere oxygen is eliminated in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer, anda donor level which leads to a change in the electric characteristics ofa transistor is formed owing to the oxygen vacancy.

Thus, oxygen is preferably supplied to the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer after being subjected to the dehydration or dehydrogenationtreatment. By supply of oxygen to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer,oxygen vacancies in the film can be repaired. Accordingly, the use ofthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer for the transistor can lead to areduction in a variation in the threshold voltage V_(th) of thetransistor and a shift of the threshold voltage ΔV_(th) due to an oxygenvacancy. Further, the threshold voltage of the transistor can be shiftedin the positive direction to make the transistor a normally-offtransistor.

FIG. 5A corresponds to FIG. 2C, in which the gate electrode layer 401,the gate insulating film 402, and the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102 whose energy gaps are different from eachother are formed over the substrate 400 having an insulating surface.

Next, oxygen 431 (which includes at least one of an oxygen radical, anoxygen atom, and an oxygen ion) is added to the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 to supply oxygen, whereby an oxygen excess region 111,112 is formed in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 including thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102 (see FIG. 5B).

The oxygen excess region 111, 112 includes at least partly a regionwhere the oxygen content is higher than that in the stoichiometriccomposition ratio of the oxide semiconductor in a crystalline state. Theoxygen 431 supplied to the oxygen excess region 111, 112 can repair anoxygen vacancy in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 includingthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102.

The source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer 405 b areformed over the gate insulating film 402 and the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 including the oxygen excess regions 111 and 112. Inthis manner, a transistor 443 a is manufactured (see FIG. 5C).

The addition of the oxygen 431 can be performed as well after the sourceelectrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer 405 b are formed.FIG. 5D illustrates a transistor 443 b as an example in which oxygen isadded to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 including the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer102 after formation of the source electrode layer 405 a and the drainelectrode layer 405 b.

As shown in FIG. 5D, the oxygen 431 is selectively added to a channelformation region in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 includingthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 with the source electrode layer 405 a and thedrain electrode layer 405 b functioned as a mask. In the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 of the transistor 443 b, a region whichoverlaps with neither the source electrode layer 405 a nor the drainelectrode layer 405 b has a higher oxygen concentration than a regionwhich overlaps with either the source electrode layer 405 a or the drainelectrode layer 405 b.

Further, a transistor 483 which has a bottom-gate structure in whichoxygen is added to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 is shown inFIG. 4B as another embodiment of a semiconductor device. FIG. 4Aillustrates the transistor 480 in which a stacked layer consisting ofthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 is used to formthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

The transistor 483 includes the gate electrode layer 401, the gateinsulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 includingthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101 including the oxygen excessregion 111, the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 including theoxygen excess region 112, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103including an oxygen excess region 113, the source electrode layer 405 a,and the drain electrode layer 405 b, which are provided in this orderover the substrate 400 having an insulating surface. The insulating film407 is formed over the transistor 483.

Respective energy gaps of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductorlayer 103 in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 of the transistor483 are not the same as each other but take at least two differentvalues.

The transistor 483 is an example in which oxygen is added to all overthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403; the oxygen excess region 111,the oxygen excess region 112, and the oxygen excess region 113 areformed in all over the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer103, respectively.

Further, a transistor 413 which has a bottom-gate structure of achannel-protective type is shown in FIG. 9C as another embodiment of asemiconductor device.

The transistor 413 includes the gate electrode layer 401, the gateinsulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 includingthe first oxide semiconductor layer 101 including the oxygen excessregion 111, the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 including theoxygen excess region 112, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103including the oxygen excess region 113, the insulating film 427functioning as a channel protective film, the source electrode layer 405a, and the drain electrode layer 405 b, which are provided in this orderover the substrate 400 having an insulating surface. The insulating film409 is formed over the transistor 413.

At least one of their respective energy gaps of the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101, the second oxide semiconductor layer 102, andthe third oxide semiconductor layer 103 is different from the other. Inthe example described as the transistor 413, the energy gap of thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102 is smaller than those of the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 and the third oxide semiconductor layer103.

The transistor 413 is an example in which oxygen is added to all overthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403; the oxygen excess region 111,the oxygen excess region 112, and the oxygen excess region 113 areformed in all over the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer103, respectively.

In the transistor 413, the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 isprovided on and in contact with the gate insulating film 402. The secondoxide semiconductor layer 102 is stacked over the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101. The third oxide semiconductor layer 103 coversthe side surface of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the topand side surfaces of the second oxide semiconductor layer 102, and theperipheral edge of the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 is in contactwith the gate insulating film 402. The structure in which each of thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductorlayer 102 is in contact with neither the source electrode layer 405 anor the drain electrode layer 405 b leads to reduction in occurrence ofleakage current (parasitic channel) of the source electrode layer 405 aand the drain electrode layer 405 b of the transistor 413.

Further, a transistor 433 which has a bottom-gate structure in whichoxygen is added to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 is shown inFIG. 10C as another embodiment of a semiconductor device.

As shown in FIG. 10C, the transistor 433 includes the gate electrodelayer 401, the gate insulating film 402, the source electrode layer 405a, the drain electrode layer 405 b, and the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 includingthe oxygen excess region 111, the second oxide semiconductor layer 102including the oxygen excess region 112, and the third oxidesemiconductor layer 103 including the oxygen excess region 113, whichare provided in this order over the substrate 400 having an insulatingsurface. The insulating film 407 is formed over the transistor 433.

The transistor 433 has the structure in which the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductorlayer 103 is provided over the source electrode layer 405 a and thedrain electrode layer 405 b. At least one of their respective energygaps of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103 isdifferent from the other. In the example described as the transistor433, the energy gap of the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 issmaller than those of the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and thethird oxide semiconductor layer 103.

The transistor 433 is an example in which oxygen is added to all overthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403; the oxygen excess region 111,the oxygen excess region 112, and the oxygen excess region 113 areformed in all over the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer103, respectively.

The oxygen is added either directly to the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 in the state where the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403is exposed or added through the insulating film 407 in the transistor433.

Examples in which oxygen is added to the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 in the transistor 340, 380 a described in Embodiment 2, inwhich an upper oxide semiconductor layer covers the side surface of alower oxide semiconductor layer, so that an oxygen excess region isformed are shown in FIGS. 7D and 8D.

A transistor 343 shown in FIG. 7D includes the gate electrode layer 401,the gate insulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 whose energy gaps are different from each other,the source electrode layer 405 a, and the drain electrode layer 405 b,which are provided in this order over the substrate 400 having aninsulating surface. The insulating film 407 is formed over thetransistor 343. The oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 includes thefirst oxide semiconductor layer 101 including the oxygen excess region111 and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 including the oxygenexcess region 112 in the transistor 343.

A transistor 383 shown in FIG. 8D includes the gate electrode layer 401,the gate insulating film 402, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403including the first oxide semiconductor layer 101, the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102, and the third oxide semiconductor layer 103whose energy gaps are different from each other, the source electrodelayer 405 a, and the drain electrode layer 405 b, which are provided inthis order over the substrate 400 having an insulating surface. Theinsulating film 407 is formed over the transistor 383. The oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 includes the first oxide semiconductorlayer 101 including the oxygen excess region 111, the second oxidesemiconductor layer 102 including the oxygen excess region 112, and thethird oxide semiconductor layer 103 including the oxygen excess region113 in the transistor 383.

The structure as shown in the transistors 343 and 383 in which the upperoxide semiconductor layer, which has an energy gap larger than that ofthe lower oxide semiconductor layer, covers the side surface of thelower oxide semiconductor layer in the oxide semiconductor stacked layerleads to reduction in occurrence of leakage current (parasitic channel)of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of thetransistor.

Oxygen which is added to the dehydrated or dehydrogenated oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 to supply oxygen to the film can highlypurify the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 and make the film anelectrically i-type (intrinsic). Change in the electric characteristicsof the transistor 443 a, 443 b, 413, 433, 343, 383 including the highlypurified, electrically i-type (intrinsic) oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 is suppressed and the transistor is thus electrically stable.

As the method for addition of oxygen, an ion implantation method, an iondoping method, a plasma immersion ion implantation method, plasmatreatment, or the like can be used.

In the step of addition of oxygen, oxygen may be directly added to theoxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 or added to the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 through another film such as theinsulating film 407. An ion implantation method, an ion doping method, aplasma immersion ion implantation method, or the like may be employedfor the addition of oxygen through another film, whereas plasmatreatment or the like can also be employed for the addition of oxygendirectly to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 in the state wherethe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 is exposed.

The addition of oxygen to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 canbe performed anytime after dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment isperformed thereon. Further, oxygen may be added plural times to thedehydrated or dehydrogenated oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

For example, in Embodiment 1, the addition of oxygen to the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 can be performed on the exposed oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 493 or the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 after formation of the source electrode layer 405 a and the drainelectrode layer 405 b, after formation of the gate insulating film 402,after formation of the gate electrode layer 401, or after formation ofthe insulating film 407.

Further, it is preferable that the concentration of oxygen, which isadded by the step of oxygen addition, in the oxygen excess region 111,112 in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 be greater than orequal to 1×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³ and less than or equal to 5×10²¹ atoms/cm³.

In the oxide semiconductor, oxygen is one of its main constituentmaterials. Thus, it is difficult to accurately estimate the oxygenconcentration in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 by a methodsuch as secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). In other words, it canbe said that it is difficult to determine whether oxygen isintentionally added to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

It is known that there exist isotopes of oxygen, such as ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O,and ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O account for about 0.037% and about 0.204% of all of theoxygen atoms in nature, respectively. That is to say, it is possible tomeasure the concentrations of these isotopes which are intentionallyadded to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 by a method such asSIMS; therefore, the oxygen concentration in the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 can be estimated more accurately in some cases bymeasuring the concentrations of these isotopes. Thus, the concentrationsof these isotopes may be measured to determine whether oxygen isintentionally added to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

Heat treatment is preferably performed after oxygen is added to theoxide semiconductor film.

In the case where oxygen is directly added to the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 as in the transistors 443 a and 443 b in thisembodiment, the gate insulating film 402 and the insulating film 407which are in contact with the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 donot necessarily contain much oxygen. It is preferable that a film havinga high shielding effect (blocking effect) against oxygen and impuritiessuch as hydrogen and water be provided as the insulating film 407 sothat oxygen added to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 is noteliminated from the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 and impuritiessuch as hydrogen and water do not enter the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403. For example, an aluminum oxide film or the like having a highshielding effect (blocking effect) against both of oxygen and impuritiessuch as hydrogen and water may be used.

Needless to say, oxygen may be supplied by a plurality of methods: forexample, oxygen may be supplied both from a film containing much oxygenprovided as the gate insulating film 402 or the insulating film 407 incontact with the oxide semiconductor film, and by direct addition ofoxygen to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

Although an example in which oxygen is added to the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 is described in this embodiment, oxygen may be addedto the gate insulating film 402, the insulating film 407, or the likewhich is in contact with the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403. Theaddition of oxygen to the gate insulating film 402 or the insulatingfilm 407 which is in contact with the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 to make the film an oxygen excess film enables oxygen to be suppliedto the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403.

In this manner, a semiconductor device using an oxide semiconductorstacked layer whose electric characteristics are stable can be provided.Accordingly, a highly reliable semiconductor device can be provided.

This embodiment can be implemented combining with another embodiment asappropriate.

Embodiment 4

In this embodiment, another embodiment of a semiconductor device and amethod for manufacturing the semiconductor device is described withreference to FIGS. 6A to 6C. The above embodiment can be applied to thesame portion as, a portion having a function similar to, or a stepsimilar to that in the above embodiment; thus, repetitive description isomitted. In addition, detailed description of the same portions is alsoomitted.

Described in this embodiment is an example in which in a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, a low-resistance region is formed in the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer. The low-resistance region can be formed byadding an impurity (also called dopant) for changing the electricalconductivity to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer.

In this embodiment, a transistor 420 which has a bottom-gate structureof a channel-protective type is described as an example. FIGS. 6A to 6Cillustrates an example of a method for manufacturing the transistor 420.

First, the gate electrode layer 401 is formed over the substrate 400having an insulating surface. The gate insulating film 402 is formedover the gate electrode layer 401.

Then, the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 including the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 and the second oxide semiconductor layer102 whose energy gaps are different from each other is formed over thegate insulating film 402.

Oxygen may be added to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 asdescribed in Embodiment 2, so that the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 includes an oxygen excess region. The oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 may have a three-layer structure and have a structure in whichan upper oxide semiconductor layer covers the side surface of a loweroxide semiconductor layer.

The insulating film 427 functioning as a channel protective film isformed over the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 to overlap withthe gate electrode layer 401 (see FIG. 6A).

Next, a dopant 421 is selectively added to the oxide semiconductorstacked layer 403 with the insulating film 427 as a mask, so thatlow-resistance regions 121 a, 121 b, 122 a, and 122 b are formed (seeFIG. 6B).

Although the insulating film 427 functioning as the channel protectivefilm is used as a mask for the addition of the dopant 421 in thisembodiment, a resist mask may be formed for selective addition of thedopant 421. Also in the transistor 440 a, 430, or the like, in which achannel protective film is not provided, a resist mask may be formed forselective addition of a dopant.

Depending on addition conditions of the dopant 421, the dopant 421 maybe added only either the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 or thesecond oxide semiconductor layer 102, so that a low-resistance region isformed, in the case of which the dopant concentration may be ununiformlydistributed in the first oxide semiconductor layer 101 and the secondoxide semiconductor layer 102.

The dopant 421 is an impurity by which the electrical conductivity ofthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 is changed. One or moreselected from the following can be used as the dopant 421: Group 15elements (typical examples thereof are phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), andantimony (Sb)), boron (B), aluminum (Al), nitrogen (N), argon (Ar),helium (He), neon (Ne), indium (In), fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl),titanium (Ti), and zinc (Zn).

The dopant 421 is added to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 byan implantation method. As the method for adding the dopant 421, an ionimplantation method, an ion doping method, a plasma immersion ionimplantation method, or the like can be used. In that case, it ispreferable to use a single ion of the dopant 421 or a hydride ion, afluoride ion, or a chloride ion thereof.

The addition of the dopant 421 may be controlled by setting the additionconditions such as the accelerated voltage and the dosage, or thethickness of the insulating film 427 serving as a mask as appropriate.In this embodiment, boron is used as the dopant 421, whose ion is addedby an ion implantation method. The dosage of the dopant 421 ispreferably set to be greater than or equal to 1×10¹³ ions/cm² and lessthan or equal to 5×10¹⁶ ions/cm².

The concentration of the dopant 421 in the low-resistance region ispreferably greater than or equal to 5×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³ and less than orequal to 1×10²² atoms/cm³.

The substrate 400 may be heated in adding the dopant 421.

The addition of the dopant 421 to the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 may be performed plural times, and the number of kinds of dopant maybe plural.

Further, heat treatment may be performed thereon after the addition ofthe dopant 421. The heat treatment is preferably performed at atemperature(s) higher than or equal to 300° C. and lower than or equalto 700° C. (further preferably higher than or equal to 300° C. and lowerthan or equal to 450° C.) for one hour under an oxygen atmosphere. Theheat treatment may be performed under a nitrogen atmosphere, reducedpressure, or the air (ultra-dry air).

In the case where the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 is acrystalline oxide semiconductor film, the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer 403 may be partly amorphized by the addition of the dopant 421. Inthat case, the crystallinity of the oxide semiconductor stacked layer403 can be recovered by performing heat treatment thereon after theaddition of the dopant 421.

In this manner, in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403, the firstoxide semiconductor layer 101 in which the low-resistance regions 121 aand 121 b are provided to sandwich a channel formation region 121 c andthe second oxide semiconductor layer 102 in which the low-resistanceregions 122 a and 122 b are provided to sandwich a channel formationregion 122 c are formed.

Next, the source electrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer 405b are formed in contact with the low-resistance regions 121 a, 121 b,122 a, and 122 b.

Through the above process, the transistor 420 of this embodiment ismanufactured (see FIG. 6C).

With the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 including the first oxidesemiconductor layer 101 in which the low-resistance regions 121 a and121 b are provided to sandwich the channel formation region 121 c in thechannel length direction and the second oxide semiconductor layer 102 inwhich the low-resistance regions 122 a and 122 b are provided tosandwich the channel formation region 122 c in the channel lengthdirection, on-state characteristics (e.g., on-state current andfield-effect mobility) of the transistor 420 are increased, whichenables high-speed operation and high-speed response of the transistor.

The low-resistance regions 121 a, 121 b, 122 a, and 122 b each can befunctioned as a source region or a drain region in the transistor 420.With the low-resistance regions 121 a and 121 b, 122 a and 122 b, theelectrical field applied to the channel formation region 121 c, 122 cformed between the low-resistance regions 121 a and 121 b, 122 a and 122b can be relaxed. Further, electrical connection between the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 403 and each of the source electrode layer405 a and the drain electrode layer 405 b in the low-resistance regions121 a, 121 b, 122 a, and 122 b can reduce the contact resistance betweenthe oxide semiconductor stacked layer 403 and each of the sourceelectrode layer 405 a and the drain electrode layer 405 b. Consequently,the electrical characteristics of the transistor can be increased.

This embodiment can be implemented combining with another embodiment asappropriate.

Embodiment 5

A semiconductor device (also referred to as a display device) having adisplay function can be manufactured using the transistor an example ofwhich is described in any of Embodiments 1 to 4. Moreover, part or allof the driver circuitry which includes the transistor can be formed overa substrate where a pixel portion is formed, whereby a system-on-panelcan be formed.

In FIG. 12A, a sealant 4005 is provided so as to surround a pixelportion 4002 provided over a first substrate 4001, and the pixel portion4002 is sealed with a second substrate 4006. In FIG. 12A, a scan linedriver circuit 4004 and a signal line driver circuit 4003 which are eachformed using a single crystal semiconductor film or a polycrystallinesemiconductor film over a substrate separately prepared are mounted in aregion that is different from the region surrounded by the sealant 4005over the first substrate 4001. A variety of signals and potentials aresupplied to the signal line driver circuit 4003, the scan line drivercircuit 4004, and the pixel portion 4002 from flexible printed circuits(FPCs) 4018 a and 4018 b.

In FIGS. 12B and 12C, the sealant 4005 is provided so as to surround thepixel portion 4002 and the scan line driver circuit 4004 which areprovided over the first substrate 4001. The second substrate 4006 isprovided over the pixel portion 4002 and the scan line driver circuit4004. Consequently, the pixel portion 4002 and the scan line drivercircuit 4004 are sealed together with a display element by the firstsubstrate 4001, the sealant 4005, and the second substrate 4006. InFIGS. 12B and 12C, the signal line driver circuit 4003 which is formedusing a single crystal semiconductor film or a polycrystallinesemiconductor film over a substrate separately prepared is mounted in aregion that is different from the region surrounded by the sealant 4005over the first substrate 4001. In FIGS. 12B and 12C, a variety ofsignals and potentials are supplied to the signal line driver circuit4003, the scan line driver circuit 4004, and the pixel portion 4002 froman FPC 4018.

Although FIGS. 12B and 12C each illustrate an example in which thesignal line driver circuit 4003 is formed separately and mounted overthe first substrate 4001, embodiments of the present invention are notlimited to this structure. The scan line driver circuit may be formedseparately and then mounted, or only part of the signal line drivercircuit or only part of the scan line driver circuit may be formedseparately and then mounted.

The connection method of such a separately formed driver circuit is notparticularly limited; for example, a chip on glass (COG) method, a wirebonding method, or a tape automated bonding (TAB) method can be used.FIG. 12A illustrates an example in which the signal line driver circuit4003 and the scan line driver circuit 4004 are mounted by a COG method;FIG. 12B illustrates an example in which the signal line driver circuit4003 is mounted by a COG method; and FIG. 12C illustrates an example inwhich the signal line driver circuit 4003 is mounted by a TAB method.

The display device includes in its category a panel in which a displayelement is sealed, and a module in which an IC such as a controller orthe like is mounted on the panel.

The display device in this specification means an image display device,a display device, or a light source (including a lighting device).Furthermore, the display device also includes the following modules inits category: a module to which a connector such as an FPC, a TAB tape,or a TCP is attached; a module having a TAB tape or a TCP at the tip ofwhich a printed wiring board is provided; and a module in which anintegrated circuit (IC) is directly mounted on a display element by aCOG method.

The pixel portion and the scan line driver circuit provided over thefirst substrate include a plurality of transistors, to which any of thetransistors which are described in Embodiments 1 to 4 can be applied.

As the display element provided in the display device, a liquid crystalelement (also referred to as a liquid crystal display element) or alight-emitting element (also referred to as a light-emitting displayelement) can be used. The light-emitting element includes in itscategory an element whose luminance is controlled by a current or avoltage, and specifically includes an inorganic electroluminescent (EL)element, an organic EL element, and the like. A display medium whosecontrast is changed by an electric effect, such as electronic ink, canalso be used.

An embodiment of a semiconductor device is described with reference toFIGS. 12A to 12C and FIGS. 13A and 13B. FIGS. 13A and 13B arecross-sectional diagrams along line M-N of FIG. 12B.

As shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the semiconductor device includes aconnection terminal electrode 4015 and a terminal electrode 4016, andthe connection terminal electrode 4015 and the terminal electrode 4016are electrically connected to a terminal included in the FPC 4018through an anisotropic conductive film 4019.

The connection terminal electrode 4015 is formed using the sameconductive film as a first electrode layer 4030, and the terminalelectrode 4016 is formed using the same conductive film as source anddrain electrode layers of transistors 4010 and 4011.

The pixel portion 4002 and the scan line driver circuit 4004 which areprovided over the first substrate 4001 each include a plurality oftransistors. In FIGS. 13A and 13B, the transistor 4010 included in thepixel portion 4002 and the transistor 4011 included in the scan linedriver circuit 4004 are illustrated as an example. An insulating film4020 is provided over the transistors 4010 and 4011 in FIG. 13A, and aninsulating film 4021 is further provided in FIG. 13B. An insulating film4023 is an insulating film serving as a base film.

Any of the transistors described in Embodiments 1 to 4 can be applied tothe transistors 4010 and 4011. In this embodiment, an example in which atransistor having a structure similar to that of the transistor 440 adescribed in Embodiment 1 is used is described.

The transistors 4010 and 4011 each include an oxide semiconductorstacked layer including at least two oxide semiconductor layers whoseenergy gaps are different from each other. By using the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer using a plurality of oxide semiconductorlayers whose energy gaps are different from each other, the electricalcharacteristics of the transistor can be adjusted with higher accuracy,providing the transistor 4010, 4011 with appropriate electricalcharacteristics.

Accordingly, semiconductor devices for a variety of purposes such ashigh functionality, high reliability, and low power consumption can beprovided as the semiconductor device of this embodiment shown in FIGS.12A to 12C and FIGS. 13A and 13C.

The transistor 4010 included in the pixel portion 4002 is electricallyconnected to a display element to constitute a part of a display panel.There is no particular limitation on the kind of the display element aslong as display can be performed; various kinds of display elements canbe used.

An example of a liquid crystal display device using a liquid crystalelement as a display element is illustrated in FIG. 13A. In FIG. 13A, aliquid crystal element 4013 which is a display element includes a firstelectrode layer 4030, a second electrode layer 4031, and a liquidcrystal layer 4008. Insulating films 4032 and 4033 serving asorientation films are provided so that the liquid crystal layer 4008 isprovided therebetween. The second electrode layer 4031 is provided onthe second substrate 4006 side, and the first electrode layer 4030 andthe second electrode layer 4031 are stacked with the liquid crystallayer 4008 provided therebetween.

A columnar spacer denoted by reference numeral 4035 is obtained byselective etching of an insulating film and is provided in order tocontrol the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 4008 (cell gap).Alternatively, a spherical spacer may be used.

In the case where a liquid crystal element is used as the displayelement, a thermotropic liquid crystal, a low-molecular liquid crystal,a high-molecular liquid crystal, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal, aferroelectric liquid crystal, an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal, orthe like can be used. Such a liquid crystal material (liquid crystalcomposition) exhibits a cholesteric phase, a smectic phase, a cubicphase, a chiral nematic phase, an isotropic phase, or the like dependingon conditions.

Alternatively, a liquid crystal composition exhibiting a blue phase forwhich an alignment film is not involved may be used for the liquidcrystal layer 4008. The blue phase is one of liquid crystal phases,which is generated just before a cholesteric phase changes into anisotropic phase while temperature of a cholesteric liquid crystal isincreased. The blue phase can be exhibited using a liquid crystalcomposition which is a mixture of a liquid crystal and a chiral agent.To increase the temperature range where the blue phase is exhibited, aliquid crystal layer may be formed by adding a polymerizable monomer, apolymerization initiator, and the like to a liquid crystal compositionexhibiting a blue phase and by performing polymer stabilizationtreatment. The liquid crystal composition exhibiting a blue phase has ashort response time, and has optical isotropy, so that the alignmentprocess is not requisite and the viewing angle dependence is small. Inaddition, since an alignment film does not need to be provided and thusrubbing treatment is not requisite, electrostatic discharge damagecaused by the rubbing treatment can be prevented and defects and damageof the liquid crystal display device in the manufacturing process can bereduced. Thus, productivity of the liquid crystal display device can beimproved. A transistor using an oxide semiconductor film has apossibility that the electric characteristics of the transistor mayfluctuate significantly by the influence of static electricity anddeviate from the designed range. Therefore, it is more effective to usea liquid crystal composition exhibiting a blue phase for the liquidcrystal display device including the transistor using an oxidesemiconductor film.

The specific resistivity of the liquid crystal material is greater thanor equal to 1×10⁹ Ω·cm, preferably greater than or equal to 1×10¹¹ Ω·cm,further preferably greater than or equal to 1×10¹² Ω·cm. The specificresistivity in this specification is measured at 20° C.

The magnitude of a storage capacitor in the liquid crystal displaydevice is set considering the leakage current of the transistor in thepixel portion or the like so that charge can be held for a predeterminedperiod. The magnitude of the storage capacitor may be set consideringthe off-state current of the transistor or the like. By using the/atransistor including an oxide semiconductor film disclosed in thisspecification, a capacitance that is ⅓ or less, preferably ⅕ or less ofliquid crystal capacitance of each pixel is enough as the magnitude ofthe storage capacitor.

In the transistor using an oxide semiconductor film disclosed in thisspecification, the current in an off state (off-state current) can besuppressed to be small. Accordingly, an electric signal such as an imagesignal can be held for a longer period, and a writing interval can beset longer in an on state. The frequency of refresh operation can beaccordingly reduced, which leads to an effect of suppressing powerconsumption.

Further, the transistor using an oxide semiconductor film disclosed inthis specification can exhibit a high field-effect mobility and thus canoperate at high speed. For example, with such a transistor which canoperate at high speed used for a liquid crystal display device, aswitching transistor in a pixel portion and a driver transistor in adriver circuit portion can be formed over one substrate. That is, asemiconductor device formed using a silicon wafer or the like is notadditionally needed as a driver circuit, by which the number ofcomponents of the semiconductor device can be reduced. In addition, thetransistor which can operate at high speed can be used also in the pixelportion, whereby a high-quality image can be provided. Accordingly,reliability of the semiconductor device can also be improved.

For the liquid crystal display device, a twisted nematic (TN) mode, anin-plane-switching (IPS) mode, a fringe field switching (FFS) mode, anaxially symmetric aligned micro-cell (ASM) mode, an optical compensatedbirefringence (OCB) mode, a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) mode, ananti-ferroelectric liquid crystal (AFLC) mode, or the like can be used.

A normally black liquid crystal display device such as a transmissiveliquid crystal display device utilizing a vertical alignment (VA) modemay be used. Some examples are given as the vertical alignment mode; forexample, a multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) mode, a patternedvertical alignment (PVA) mode, or an advanced super view (ASV) mode canbe used. Furthermore, this embodiment can be applied to a VA liquidcrystal display device. The VA liquid crystal display device has a kindof form in which alignment of liquid crystal molecules of a liquidcrystal display panel is controlled. In the VA liquid crystal displaydevice, liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a vertical directionwith respect to a panel surface when no voltage is applied. Moreover, itis possible to use a method called domain multiplication or multi-domaindesign, in which a pixel is divided into some regions (subpixels) andmolecules are aligned in different directions in their respectiveregions.

In the display device, a black matrix (light-blocking layer), an opticalmember (optical substrate) such as a polarizing member, a retardationmember, or an anti-reflection member, and the like are provided asappropriate. For example, circular polarization may be provided by apolarizing substrate and a retardation substrate. In addition, abacklight, a side light, or the like may be used as a light source.

As a display method in the pixel portion, a progressive method, aninterlace method, or the like can be employed. Further, color elementscontrolled in a pixel at the time of color display are not limited tothree colors: R, G, and B (R, G, and B correspond to red, green, andblue, respectively). For example, R, G, B, and W (W corresponds towhite); R, G, B, and one or more of yellow, cyan, magenta, and the like;or the like can be used. Further, the sizes of display regions may bedifferent between respective dots of color elements. Embodiments of thedisclosed invention are not limited to a display device for colordisplay; the disclosed invention can also be applied to a display devicefor monochrome display.

Alternatively, as the display element included in the display device, alight-emitting element utilizing electroluminescence can be used.Light-emitting elements utilizing electroluminescence are classifiedaccording to whether the light-emitting material is an organic compoundor an inorganic compound. In general, the former is referred to as anorganic EL element, and the latter is referred to as an inorganic ELelement.

In the organic EL element, by application of voltage to thelight-emitting element, electrons and holes are separately injected froma pair of electrodes into a layer containing a light-emitting organiccompound, and current flows. The carriers (electrons and holes) arerecombined, and thus, the light-emitting organic compound is excited.The light-emitting organic compound returns to the ground state from theexcited state, thereby emitting light. This light-emitting element iscalled a current-excitation light-emitting element after such amechanism.

The inorganic EL elements are classified according to their elementstructures into a dispersion-type inorganic EL element and a thin-filminorganic EL element. The dispersion-type inorganic EL element has alight-emitting layer where particles of a light-emitting material aredispersed in a binder, and its light emission mechanism isdonor-acceptor recombination type light emission that utilizes a donorlevel and an acceptor level. The thin-film inorganic EL element has astructure where a light-emitting layer is sandwiched between dielectriclayers, which are further sandwiched between electrodes, and its lightemission mechanism is localized type light emission that utilizesinner-shell electron transition of metal ions. An organic EL element isused as the light-emitting element for description here.

To extract light emitted from the light-emitting element, it isnecessary that at least one of the pair of electrodes has alight-transmitting property. A transistor and the light-emitting elementare formed over a substrate. The light-emitting element can have a topemission structure in which light emission is extracted through asurface opposite to the substrate; a bottom emission structure in whichlight emission is extracted through a surface on the substrate side; ora dual emission structure in which light emission is extracted throughthe surface opposite to the substrate and the surface on the substrateside; a light-emitting element having any of these emission structurescan be used.

An example of a light-emitting device in which a light-emitting elementis used as a display element is illustrated in FIG. 13B. Alight-emitting element 4513 which is the display element is electricallyconnected to the transistor 4010 provided in the pixel portion 4002. Astructure of the light-emitting element 4513 is not limited to the shownstacked-layer structure, which is the stacked-layer structure includingthe first electrode layer 4030, an electroluminescent layer 4511, andthe second electrode layer 4031. The structure of the light-emittingelement 4513 can be changed as appropriate depending on a direction inwhich light is extracted from the light-emitting element 4513, or thelike.

A partition wall 4510 is formed using an organic insulating material oran inorganic insulating material. It is preferable that the partitionwall 4510 be formed using a photosensitive resin material and have anopening over the first electrode layer 4030 so that a sidewall of theopening is formed as a tilted surface with continuous curvature.

The electroluminescent layer 4511 consists of either a single layer or aplurality of layers stacked.

A protective film may be formed over the second electrode layer 4031 andthe partition wall 4510 in order to prevent entry of oxygen, hydrogen,water, carbon dioxide, or the like into the light-emitting element 4513.As the protective film, a silicon nitride film, a silicon nitride oxidefilm, a DLC film, or the like can be formed. In addition, in a spacewhich is formed with the first substrate 4001, the second substrate4006, and the sealant 4005, a filler 4514 is provided for sealing. It ispreferable that a panel be packaged (sealed) with a protective film(such as a laminate film or an ultraviolet curable resin film) or acover material with high air-tightness and little degasification so thatthe panel is not exposed to the outside air, in this manner.

As the filler 4514, an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosettingresin can be used as well as an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. Forexample, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), an acrylic resin, polyimide, an epoxyresin, a silicone resin, polyvinyl butyral (PVB), or ethylene vinylacetate (EVA) can be used. For example, nitrogen is used as the filler.

In addition, as needed, an optical film such as a polarizing plate, acircularly polarizing plate (including an elliptically polarizingplate), a retardation plate (a quarter-wave plate or a half-wave plate),or a color filter may be provided as appropriate on a light-emittingsurface of the light-emitting element. Further, the polarizing plate orthe circularly polarizing plate may be provided with an anti-reflectionfilm. For example, anti-glare treatment by which reflected light can bediffused by projections and/or depressions on the surface so as toreduce the glare can be performed.

Further, electronic paper in which electronic ink is driven can beprovided as the display device. The electronic paper is also calledelectrophoretic display device (electrophoretic display) and isadvantageous in that it exhibits the same level of readability as plainpaper, it has lower power consumption than other display devices, and itcan be made thin and lightweight.

Although the electrophoretic display device can have various modes, theelectrophoretic display device contains a plurality of microcapsulesdispersed in a solvent or a solute, each microcapsule containing firstparticles which are positively charged and second particles which arenegatively charged. By applying an electric field to the microcapsules,the particles in the microcapsules move in opposite directions to eachother and only the color of the particles gathering on one side isdisplayed. The first particles and the second particles each contain apigment and do not move without an electric field. Moreover, the firstparticles and the second particles have different colors (which may becolorless).

Thus, an electrophoretic display device is a display device thatutilizes a so-called dielectrophoretic effect by which a substancehaving a high dielectric constant moves to a high-electric field region.

A solution in which the above microcapsules are dispersed in a solventis referred to as electronic ink. This electronic ink can be printed ona surface of glass, plastic, cloth, paper, or the like. Further, with acolor filter or particles that have a pigment, color display can also beperformed.

The first particles and the second particles in the microcapsules mayeach be formed of a single material selected from a conductive material,an insulating material, a semiconductor material, a magnetic material, aliquid crystal material, a ferroelectric material, an electroluminescentmaterial, an electrochromic material, and a magnetophoretic material, orformed of a composite material of any of these.

As the electronic paper, a display device using a twisting ball displaysystem can be used. The twisting ball display system refers to a methodin which spherical particles each colored in black and white arearranged between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layerwhich are electrode layers used for a display element, and a potentialdifference is generated between the first electrode layer and the secondelectrode layer to control orientation of the spherical particles, sothat display is performed.

In FIGS. 12A to 12C and FIGS. 13A and 13B, a flexible substrate as wellas a glass substrate can be used as any of the first substrate 4001 andthe second substrate 4006. For example, a plastic substrate having alight-transmitting property or the like can be used. As plastic, afiberglass-reinforced plastics (FRP) plate, a polyvinyl fluoride (PVF)film, a polyester film, or an acrylic resin film can be used. In thecase where the light-transmitting property is not requisite, a metalsubstrate (metal film) of aluminum, stainless steel, or the like may beused. For example, a sheet with a structure in which an aluminum foil isinterposed between PVF films or polyester films can be used.

In this embodiment, an aluminum oxide film is used as the insulatingfilm 4020.

The aluminum oxide film which is provided as the insulating film 4020over the oxide semiconductor film has a high blocking effect by whichboth of oxygen and impurities such as hydrogen or water is preventedfrom being passed through the film.

Therefore, in and after the manufacturing process, the aluminum oxidefilm functions as a protective film for preventing entry of an impuritysuch as hydrogen or water, which causes a change, into the oxidesemiconductor film and release of oxygen, which is a main constituentmaterial of the oxide semiconductor, from the oxide semiconductor film.

The insulating film 4021 serving as a planarization insulating film canbe formed using an organic material having heat resistance, such as anacrylic resin, polyimide, benzocyclobutene-based resin, polyamide, orepoxy. Other than such organic materials, it is also possible to use alow-dielectric constant material (low-k material), a siloxane-basedresin, phosphosilicate glass (PSG), borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), orthe like. The insulating film may be formed by stacking a plurality ofinsulating films formed of these materials.

There is no particular limitation on the method of forming theinsulating film 4021, and the following method or tool (equipment) canbe used depending on the material: a sputtering method, an SOG method,spin coating, dipping, spray coating, a droplet discharge method (suchas an inkjet method), a printing method (such as screen printing oroffset printing), a doctor knife, a roll coater, a curtain coater, aknife coater, or the like.

The display device displays an image by transmitting light from thelight source or the display element. Therefore, the substrate and thethin films such as the insulating film and the conductive film providedfor the pixel portion where light is transmitted have light-transmittingproperties with respect to light in the visible light wavelength range.

The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer (also calledpixel electrode layer, common electrode layer, counter electrode layer,or the like) for applying voltage to the display element have eitherlight-transmitting properties or light-reflecting properties, whichdepends on the direction in which light is extracted, the position wherethe electrode layer is provided, the pattern structure of the electrodelayer, and the like.

The first electrode layer 4030 and the second electrode layer 4031 canbe formed using a light-transmitting conductive material such as indiumoxide containing tungsten oxide, indium zinc oxide containing tungstenoxide, indium oxide containing titanium oxide, indium tin oxidecontaining titanium oxide, indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, indiumtin oxide to which silicon oxide is added, or graphene.

The first electrode layer 4030 and the second electrode layer 4031 canbe formed using one or plural kinds selected from a metal such astungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), vanadium(V), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel(Ni), titanium (Ti), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), orsilver (Ag); an alloy thereof; and a nitride thereof.

A conductive composition containing a conductive high molecule (alsocalled conductive polymer) can be used for the first electrode layer4030 and the second electrode layer 4031. As the conductive highmolecule, a so-called 7 c-electron conjugated conductive polymer can beused. For example, polyaniline or a derivative thereof, polypyrrole or aderivative thereof, polythiophene or a derivative thereof, a copolymerof two or more of aniline, pyrrole, and thiophene or a derivativethereof can be given.

Since the transistor is likely to be broken by static electricity or thelike, a protection circuit for protecting the driver circuit ispreferably provided. The protection circuit is preferably formed using anonlinear element.

Any of the transistors described in Embodiments 1 to 4 enablessemiconductor devices having a variety of functions to be provided asdescribed above.

Embodiment 6

Any of the transistors described in Embodiments 1 to 4 enables asemiconductor device having an image sensor function of reading data onan object to be manufactured.

FIG. 14A illustrates an example of a semiconductor device having animage sensor function. FIG. 14A is an equivalent circuit diagram of aphotosensor, and FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional diagram of part of thephotosensor.

One electrode of a photodiode 602 is electrically connected to aphotodiode reset signal line 658, and the other electrode of thephotodiode 602 is electrically connected to a gate of a transistor 640.One of a source and a drain of the transistor 640 is electricallyconnected to a photosensor reference signal line 672, and the other ofthe source and the drain of the transistor 640 is electrically connectedto one of a source and a drain of a transistor 656. A gate of thetransistor 656 is electrically connected to a gate signal line 659, andthe other of the source and the drain thereof is electrically connectedto a photosensor output signal line 671.

In the circuit diagrams in this specification, symbol “OS” is writtenunder the mark of a transistor using an oxide semiconductor film so thatit can be clearly identified as a transistor using an oxidesemiconductor film. In FIG. 14A, the transistor 640 and the transistor656 are transistors each using an oxide semiconductor layer, to whichany of the transistors described in Embodiments 1 to 4 can be applied.Described in this embodiment is an example in which a transistor havinga structure similar to that of the transistor 440 a described inEmbodiment 1 is used.

FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional diagram of the photodiode 602 and thetransistor 640 in the photosensor. The photodiode 602 functioning as asensor and the transistor 640 are provided over a substrate 601 (TFTsubstrate) having an insulating surface. A substrate 613 is providedover the photodiode 602 and the transistor 640 with the use of anadhesive layer 608.

An insulating film 631, an insulating film 362, an interlayer insulatingfilm 633, and an interlayer insulating film 634 are provided over thetransistor 640. The photodiode 602 is provided over the interlayerinsulating film 633. In the photodiode 602, a first semiconductor film606 a, a second semiconductor film 606 b, and a third semiconductor film606 c are sequentially stacked from the interlayer insulating film 633side, between an electrode layer 641 formed over the interlayerinsulating film 633 and an electrode layer 642 formed over theinterlayer insulating film 634.

The electrode layer 641 is electrically connected to a conductive layer643 formed over the interlayer insulating film 634, and the electrodelayer 642 is electrically connected to a conductive layer 645 throughthe electrode layer 641. The conductive layer 645 is electricallyconnected to a gate electrode layer of the transistor 640, and thephotodiode 602 is electrically connected to the transistor 640.

Here, a pin photodiode in which a semiconductor film having p-typeconductivity as the first semiconductor film 606 a, a high-resistancesemiconductor film (i-type semiconductor film) as the secondsemiconductor film 606 b, and a semiconductor film having n-typeconductivity as the third semiconductor film 606 c are stacked isillustrated as an example.

The first semiconductor film 606 a is a p-type semiconductor film andcan be formed using an amorphous silicon film containing an impurityelement imparting p-type conductivity. The first semiconductor film 606a is formed by a plasma-enhanced CVD method with the use of asemiconductor source gas containing an impurity element belonging toGroup 13 (e.g., boron (B)) in the periodic table. As the semiconductorsource gas, silane (SiH₄) may be used. Alternatively, Si₂H₆, SiH₂Cl₂,SiHCl₃, SiCl₄, SiF₄, or the like may be used. Further alternatively, anamorphous silicon film which does not contain an impurity element may beformed, and then an impurity element may be added to the amorphoussilicon film by a diffusion method or an ion implantation method.Heating or the like may be performed after the impurity element is addedby an ion implantation method or the like to diffuse the impurityelement. In that case, as a method of forming the amorphous siliconfilm, an LPCVD method, a vapor deposition method, a sputtering method,or the like may be used. The first semiconductor film 606 a ispreferably formed to have a thickness greater than or equal to 10 nm andless than or equal to 50 nm.

The second semiconductor film 606 b is an i-type semiconductor film(intrinsic semiconductor film) and is formed using an amorphous siliconfilm. As for formation of the second semiconductor film 606 b, anamorphous silicon film is formed by a plasma-enhanced CVD method withthe use of a semiconductor source gas. As the semiconductor source gas,silane (SiH₄) may be used. Alternatively, Si₂H₆, SiH₂Cl₂, SiHCl₃, SiCl₄,SiF₄, or the like may be used. The second semiconductor film 606 b maybe formed by an LPCVD method, a vapor deposition method, a sputteringmethod, or the like. The second semiconductor film 606 b is preferablyformed to have a thickness greater than or equal to 200 nm and less thanor equal to 1000 nm.

The third semiconductor film 606 c is an n-type semiconductor film andis formed using an amorphous silicon film containing an impurity elementimparting n-type conductivity. The third semiconductor film 606 c isformed by a plasma-enhanced CVD method with the use of a semiconductorsource gas containing an impurity element belonging to Group 15 (e.g.,phosphorus (P)). As the semiconductor source gas, silane (SiH₄) may beused. Alternatively, Si₂H₆, SiH₂Cl₂, SiHCl₃, SiCl₄, SiF₄, or the likemay be used. Further alternatively, an amorphous silicon film which doesnot contain an impurity element may be formed, and then an impurityelement may be added to the amorphous silicon film by a diffusion methodor an ion implantation method. Heating or the like may be performedafter the impurity element is added by an ion implantation method or thelike to diffuse the impurity element. In that case, as the method offorming the amorphous silicon film, an LPCVD method, a chemical vapordeposition method, a sputtering method, or the like may be used. Thethird semiconductor film 606 c is preferably formed to have a thicknessgreater than or equal to 20 nm and less than or equal to 200 nm.

The first semiconductor film 606 a, the second semiconductor film 606 b,and the third semiconductor film 606 c are not necessarily formed usingan amorphous semiconductor, and may be formed using a polycrystallinesemiconductor or a microcrystalline semiconductor (semi-amorphoussemiconductor: SAS).

Considering Gibbs free energy, the microcrystalline semiconductor is ina metastable state that is intermediate between an amorphous state and asingle crystal state. That is, the microcrystalline semiconductor is asemiconductor having a third state which is stable in terms of freeenergy and has a short range order and lattice distortion. Columnar-likeor needle-like crystals grow in a normal direction with respect to asubstrate surface. The Raman spectrum of microcrystalline silicon, whichis a typical example of a microcrystalline semiconductor, is located inlower wave numbers than 520 cm⁻¹, which represents a peak of the Ramanspectrum of single crystal silicon. That is, the peak of the Ramanspectrum of the microcrystalline silicon exists between 520 cm⁻¹ whichrepresents single crystal silicon and 480 cm⁻¹ which representsamorphous silicon. In addition, microcrystalline silicon containshydrogen or halogen of at least 1 at. % in order to terminate a danglingbond. Moreover, microcrystalline silicon contains a rare gas elementsuch as helium, argon, krypton, or neon to further promote latticedistortion, so that the stability is increased and thus a favorablemicrocrystalline semiconductor film can be obtained.

This microcrystalline semiconductor film can be formed by aradio-frequency plasma-enhanced CVD method with a frequency of greaterthan or equal to several tens of megahertz and less than or equal toseveral hundreds of megahertz, or a microwave plasma-enhanced CVDapparatus with a frequency of greater than or equal to 1 GHz.

As a typical example, the microcrystalline semiconductor can be formedusing a compound containing silicon such as SiH₄, Si₂H₆, SiH₂Cl₂,SiHCl₃, SiCl₄, or SiF₄, which is diluted with hydrogen. Themicrocrystalline semiconductor film can also be formed with dilutionwith one or plural kinds of rare gas elements selected from helium,argon, krypton, and neon in addition to the compound containing silicon(e.g., silicon hydride) and hydrogen. In those cases, the flow ratio ofhydrogen to the compound containing silicon (e.g., silicon hydride) is5:1 to 200:1, preferably 50:1 to 150:1, further preferably 100:1.Further, a carbide gas such as CH₄ or C₂H₆, a germanium gas such as GeH₄or GeF₄, F₂, or the like may be mixed into the gas containing silicon.

The mobility of holes generated by the photoelectric effect is lowerthan the mobility of electrons. Therefore, a pin photodiode has bettercharacteristics when a surface on the p-type semiconductor film side isused as a light-receiving plane. Here, an example in which lightreceived by the photodiode 602 from a surface of the substrate 601, overwhich the pin photodiode is formed, is converted into electric signalsis described. Further, light from the semiconductor film having theconductivity type opposite to that of the semiconductor film on thelight-receiving plane is disturbance light; therefore, the electrodelayer is preferably formed using a light-blocking conductive film. Asurface on the n-type semiconductor film side can alternatively be usedas the light-receiving plane.

With the use of an insulating material, the insulating film 632, theinterlayer insulating film 633 and the interlayer insulating film 634can be formed, depending on the material, by a method or a tool(equipment) such as a sputtering method, a plasma-enhanced CVD method,an SOG method, spin coating, dipping, spray coating, a droplet dischargemethod (such as an inkjet method), a printing method (such as screenprinting or offset printing), a doctor knife, a roll coater, a curtaincoater, or a knife coater.

In this embodiment, an aluminum oxide film is used as the insulatingfilm 631. The insulating film 631 can be formed by a sputtering methodor a plasma-enhanced CVD method.

The aluminum oxide film which is provided as the insulating film 631over the oxide semiconductor film has a high blocking effect by whichboth of oxygen and impurities such as hydrogen or water is preventedfrom being passed through the film.

Therefore, in and after the manufacturing process, the aluminum oxidefilm functions as a protective film for preventing entry of an impuritysuch as hydrogen or water, which causes a change, into the oxidesemiconductor film and release of oxygen, which is a main constituentmaterial of the oxide semiconductor, from the oxide semiconductor film.

The insulating film 632 can be formed using an inorganic insulatingmaterial to have a single-layer structure or a stacked-layer structureincluding any of oxide insulating films such as a silicon oxide layer, asilicon oxynitride layer, an aluminum oxide layer, and an aluminumoxynitride layer; and nitride insulating films such as a silicon nitridelayer, a silicon nitride oxide layer, an aluminum nitride layer, and analuminum nitride oxide layer.

To reduce surface roughness, an insulating film functioning as aplanarization insulating film is preferably used as each of theinterlayer insulating films 633 and 634. For the interlayer insulatingfilms 633 and 634, for example, an organic insulating material havingheat resistance, such as polyimide, an acrylic resin, abenzocyclobutene-based resin, polyamide, or an epoxy resin, can be used.Other than such organic insulating materials, it is possible to use asingle layer or stacked layers of a low-dielectric constant material(low-k material), a siloxane-based resin, phosphosilicate glass (PSG),borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), or the like.

With detection of light that enters the photodiode 602, data on anobject to be detected can be read. A light source such as a backlightcan be used at the time of reading data on the object.

By using as a semiconductor layer the oxide semiconductor stacked layerincluding a plurality of oxide semiconductor layers having differentenergy gaps as described above, the electrical characteristics of thetransistor can be adjusted with higher accuracy, providing thetransistor with appropriate electrical characteristics. Accordingly, thetransistor enables semiconductor devices for a variety of purposes suchas high functionality, high reliability, and low power consumption to beprovided.

This embodiment can be implemented combining with another embodiment asappropriate.

Embodiment 7

The transistor an example of which is described in any of Embodiments 1to 4 can be favorably used for a semiconductor device including anintegrated circuit in which a plurality of transistors is stacked. Inthis embodiment, as an example of the semiconductor device, a memorymedium (memory element) is described.

Manufactured in this embodiment is a semiconductor device which includesa transistor 140 which is a first transistor formed using a singlecrystal semiconductor substrate and a transistor 162 which is a secondtransistor formed using a semiconductor film and provided above thetransistor 140 with an insulating film provided therebetween. Thetransistor an example of which is described in any of Embodiments 1 to 3can be favorably used as the transistor 162. Described in thisembodiment is an example in which a transistor having a structuresimilar to that of the transistor 440 a described in Embodiment 1 isused as the transistor 162.

Semiconductor materials and structures of the transistor 140 and thetransistor 162, which are stacked, may be the same as or different fromeach other. In this embodiment, an example is described in whichmaterials and structures which are appropriate for the circuit of thememory medium (memory element) are employed for the transistors.

In FIGS. 15A to 15C, an example of the structure of the semiconductordevice is illustrated. FIG. 15A illustrates a cross section of thesemiconductor device, and FIG. 15B is a plane view of the semiconductordevice. Here, FIG. 15A corresponds to a cross section along line C1-C2and line D1-D2 in FIG. 15B. In addition, FIG. 15C is an example of adiagram of a circuit using the semiconductor device as a memory element.The semiconductor device illustrated in FIGS. 15A and 15B includes thetransistor 140 using a first semiconductor material in its lowerportion, and the transistor 162 using a second semiconductor material inits upper portion. In this embodiment, the first semiconductor materialis a semiconductor material other than an oxide semiconductor, and thesecond semiconductor material is an oxide semiconductor. As thesemiconductor material other than an oxide semiconductor, for example,silicon, germanium, silicon germanium, silicon carbide, or galliumarsenide can be used; a single crystal semiconductor is preferably used.Alternatively, an organic semiconductor material or the like may beused. A transistor using such a semiconductor material can operate athigh speed easily. On the other hand, a transistor using an oxidesemiconductor enables charge to be held for a long time owing to itscharacteristics.

The semiconductor device shown in FIGS. 15A to 15C is described withreference to FIGS. 15A to 15C.

The transistor 140 includes a channel formation region 116 provided in asubstrate 185 containing a semiconductor material (e.g., silicon),impurity regions 120 provided so that the channel formation region 116is positioned therebetween, metal compound regions 124 in contact withthe impurity regions 120, a gate insulating film 108 provided over thechannel formation region 116, and a gate electrode 110 provided over thegate insulating film 108.

As the substrate 185 containing a semiconductor material, a singlecrystal semiconductor substrate or a polycrystalline semiconductorsubstrate of silicon, silicon carbide, or the like; a compoundsemiconductor substrate of silicon germanium or the like; an SOIsubstrate; or the like can be used. Although the “SOI substrate”generally means a substrate in which a silicon semiconductor film isprovided on an insulating surface, the “SOI substrate” in thisspecification and the like also includes in its category a substrate inwhich a semiconductor film formed using a material other than silicon isprovided on an insulating surface. That is, a semiconductor filmincluded in the “SOI substrate” is not limited to a siliconsemiconductor film. Moreover, the SOI substrate can have a structure inwhich a semiconductor film is provided over an insulating substrate suchas a glass substrate with an insulating film provided therebetween.

As a method of forming the SOI substrate, any of the following methodscan be used: a method in which oxygen ions are added to amirror-polished wafer and then heating is performed thereon at a hightemperature, whereby an oxide layer is formed at a certain depth from atop surface of the wafer and a defect caused in the surface layer iseliminated; a method in which a semiconductor substrate is separated byutilizing growth of microvoids formed by hydrogen ion irradiation, byheat treatment; a method in which a single crystal semiconductor film isformed over an insulating surface by crystal growth; and the like.

For example, ions are added through one surface of a single crystalsemiconductor substrate, so that an embrittlement layer is formed at acertain depth from a surface of the single crystal semiconductorsubstrate, and an insulating film is formed over one of the surface ofthe single crystal semiconductor substrate and an element substrate.Heat treatment is performed in a state where the single crystalsemiconductor substrate and the element substrate are bonded to eachother with the insulating film provided therebetween, so that a crack isgenerated in the embrittlement layer and the single crystalsemiconductor substrate is separated along the embrittlement layer.Accordingly, a single crystal semiconductor layer, which is separatedfrom the single crystal semiconductor substrate, is formed as asemiconductor layer over the element substrate. An SOI substrate formedby the above method can also be favorably used.

An element isolation insulating layer 106 is provided over the substrate185 so as to surround the transistor 140. For high integration, it ispreferable that, as in FIGS. 15A to 15C, the transistor 140 do not havea sidewall insulating layer. On the other hand, in the case where thecharacteristics of the transistor 140 have priority, a sidewallinsulating layer may be provided on a side surface of the gate electrode110, and the impurity region 120 including a region having a differentimpurity concentration may be provided.

The transistor 140 formed using a single crystal semiconductor substratecan operate at high speed. Thus, the use of the transistor as a readingtransistor enables data to be read at high speed. Two insulating filmsare formed so as to cover the transistor 140. As treatment prior toformation of the transistor 162 and a capacitor 164, CMP treatment isperformed on the two insulating films, so that an insulating film 128and an insulating film 130 are formed to be planarized and an uppersurface of the gate electrode 110 is exposed.

As each of the insulating film 128 and the insulating film 130, as atypical example, it is possible to use an inorganic insulating film suchas a silicon oxide film, a silicon oxynitride film, an aluminum oxidefilm, an aluminum oxynitride film, a silicon nitride film, an aluminumnitride film, a silicon nitride oxide film, or an aluminum nitride oxidefilm. The insulating film 128 and the insulating film 130 can be formedby a plasma-enhanced CVD method, a sputtering method, or the like.

Alternatively, an organic material such as a polyimide, an acrylicresin, or benzocyclobutene-based resin can be used. Other than suchorganic materials, it is also possible to use a low dielectric constantmaterial (low-k material) or the like. In the case of using an organicmaterial, the insulating film 128 and the insulating film 130 may beformed by a wet method such as a spin coating method or a printingmethod.

In the insulating film 130, a silicon oxide film is used as the film tobe in contact with the semiconductor film.

In this embodiment, a 50-nm-thick silicon oxynitride film is formed asthe insulating film 128 by a sputtering method, and a 550-nm-thicksilicon oxide film is formed as the insulating film 130 by a sputteringmethod.

A gate electrode layer 148 is formed over the insulating film 130 whichis sufficiently planarized by the CMP. The gate electrode layer 148 canbe formed by forming a conductive layer and selectively etching theconductive layer.

A gate insulating film 146 is formed over the gate electrode layer 148.

For the gate insulating film 146, a silicon oxide film, a siliconnitride film, a silicon oxynitride film, a silicon nitride oxide film,an aluminum oxide film, an aluminum nitride film, an aluminum oxynitridefilm, an aluminum nitride oxide film, a hafnium oxide film, or a galliumoxide film can be formed by a plasma-enhanced CVD method, a sputteringmethod, or the like.

Oxide semiconductor films whose energy gaps are different from eachother are stacked over the gate insulating film 146. In this embodiment,an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide layer and an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide layer arestacked in this order over the gate insulating film 146.

Next, the stacked layer of the oxide semiconductor films is selectivelyetched to form an island-shaped oxide semiconductor stacked layer 144.

Over the oxide semiconductor film stacked layer 144, a source and drainelectrodes 142 a and 142 b are formed.

The conductive layers which can be used for the gate electrode layer 148and the source and drain electrodes 142 a and 142 b can be formed by aPVD method such as a sputtering method or a CVD method such as aplasma-enhanced CVD method. Further, as a material of the conductivelayers, an element selected from Al, Cr, Cu, Ta, Ti, Mo, and W, an alloycontaining any of the above elements as a component, or the like can beused. Any of Mn, Mg, Zr, Be, Nd, and Sc, or a material containing any ofthese in combination may be used.

The conductive layer has either a single-layer structure or astacked-layer structure of two or more layers. For example, theconductive layer can have a single-layer structure of a titanium film ora titanium nitride film, a single-layer structure of an aluminum filmcontaining silicon, a two-layer structure in which a titanium film isstacked over an aluminum film, a two-layer structure in which a titaniumfilm is stacked over a titanium nitride film, or a three-layer structurein which a titanium film, an aluminum film, and a titanium film arestacked in this order. A conductive layer having a single-layerstructure of a titanium film or a titanium nitride film has an advantagein that it can be easily processed into the source and drain electrodes142 a and 142 b having a tapered shape.

Next, an insulating film 150 is formed over the gate electrode layer148, the gate insulating film 146, and the oxide semiconductor filmstacked layer 144. An aluminum oxide film is formed as the insulatingfilm 150 in this embodiment.

The aluminum oxide film which is provided as the film 150 over the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 144 has a high blocking effect by which bothof oxygen and impurities such as hydrogen or water is prevented frombeing passed through the film.

Therefore, in and after the manufacturing process, the aluminum oxidefilm functions as a protective film for preventing entry of an impuritysuch as hydrogen or water, which causes a change, into the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 144 and release of oxygen, which is a mainconstituent material of the oxide semiconductor, from the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 144.

An insulating film may be further stacked over the insulating film 150.

As the insulating film, a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, asilicon oxynitride film, a silicon nitride oxide film, an aluminumnitride film, an aluminum oxide film, an aluminum oxynitride film, analuminum nitride oxide film, a hafnium oxide film, and a gallium oxidefilm formed by a plasma-enhanced CVD method, a sputtering method, or thelike.

Over the insulating film 150, an electrode layer 153 is formed in aregion which overlaps with the source or drain electrode 142 a.

Next, an insulating film 152 is formed over the transistor 162 and theelectrode layer 153. The insulating film 152 can be formed by asputtering method, a CVD method, or the like. The insulating film 152can be formed using a material including an inorganic insulatingmaterial such as silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride,hafnium oxide, or aluminum oxide. Alternatively, an organic materialsuch as polyimide, an acrylic resin, or a benzocyclobutene-based resincan be used, to which a wet process such as a coating method, a printingmethod, or an ink-jet method can be applied.

Next, an opening reaching the source or drain electrode 142 b is formedin the gate insulating film 146, the insulating film 150, and theinsulating film 152. The opening is formed by selective etching with theuse of a mask or the like.

After that, a wiring 156 is formed in the opening to be in contact withthe source or drain electrode 142 b. A connection point of the source ordrain electrode 142 b and the wiring 156 is not illustrated in FIGS. 15Ato 15C.

The wiring 156 is formed in such a manner that a conductive layer isformed by a PVD method such as a sputtering method or a CVD method suchas a plasma-enhanced CVD method and then the conductive layer is etched.Further, as the material of the conductive layer, an element selectedfrom Al, Cr, Cu, Ta, Ti, Mo, and W, an alloy including the above elementas its component, or the like can be used. Any of Mn, Mg, Zr, Be, Nd,and Sc, or a material including any of these in combination may be used.The details are the same as the details of the source electrode or drainelectrode 142 a.

Through the above process, the transistor 162 and the capacitor 164 arecompleted. In this embodiment, the transistor 162 includes the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 144 including at least two oxidesemiconductor layers whose energy gaps are different from each other. Byusing the oxide semiconductor stacked layer 144 using the plurality ofoxide semiconductor layers whose energy gaps are different from eachother, electrical characteristics of the transistor 162 can be adjustedwith high accuracy, providing the transistor 162 with appropriateelectrical characteristics. Further, in this embodiment, the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer 144 is highly purified and contains excessoxygen that repairs an oxygen vacancy. Therefore, the transistor 162 hasless off-state current and less change in electric characteristics andis thus electrically stable. The capacitor 164 includes the source ordrain electrode 142 a, the insulating film 150, and the electrode layer153.

Further alternatively, the capacitor 164 may be omitted in the casewhere a capacitor is not requisite.

FIG. 15C is an example of a diagram of a circuit using the semiconductordevice as a memory element. In FIG. 15C, one of a source electrode and adrain electrode of the transistor 162, one electrode of the capacitor164, and a gate electrode of the transistor 140 are electricallyconnected to one another. A first wiring (1st Line, also referred to asa source line) is electrically connected to a source electrode of thetransistor 140. A second wiring (2nd Line, also referred to as a bitline) is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the transistor140. A third wiring (3rd Line, also referred to as a first signal line)is electrically connected to the other of the source electrode and thedrain electrode of the transistor 162. A fourth wiring (4th Line, alsoreferred to as a second signal line) is electrically connected to a gateelectrode of the transistor 162. A fifth wiring (5th Line, also referredto as a word line) and the other electrode of the capacitor 164 areelectrically connected to each other.

The transistor 162 using an oxide semiconductor has extremely smalloff-state current; therefore, by turning the transistor 162 off, thepotential of a node (hereinafter, a node FG) where the one of the sourceelectrode and the drain electrode of the transistor 162, the oneelectrode of the capacitor 164, and the gate electrode of the transistor140 are electrically connected to one another can be held for anextremely long time. The capacitor 164 facilitates holding of chargegiven to the node FG and reading of the held data.

To store data in the semiconductor device (in writing of data), thepotential of the fourth wiring is set to a potential at which thetransistor 162 is turned on, whereby the transistor 162 is turned on.Thus, the potential of the third wiring is supplied to the node FG, sothat a predetermined amount of charge is accumulated in the node FG.Here, charge for supplying either of two different potential levels(hereinafter referred to as low-level charge and high-level charge) isgiven to the node FG. After that, the potential of the fourth wiring isset to a potential at which the transistor 162 is turned off, wherebythe transistor 162 is turned off. This makes the node FG floating andthe predetermined amount of charge is kept being held in the node FG.The predetermined amount of charge is thus accumulated and held in thenode FG, whereby the memory cell can store data.

Since the off-state current of the transistor 162 is extremely small,the charge supplied to the node FG is kept being held for a long period.Thus, the refresh operation is not requisite or the frequency of therefresh operation can be extremely reduced, which leads to a sufficientreduction in power consumption. Further, stored data can be kept beingheld for a long time even while power is not supplied.

To read out stored data (in reading of data), while a predeterminedpotential (a fixed potential) is supplied to the first wiring, anappropriate potential (a read-out potential) is supplied to the fifthwiring, whereby the transistor 140 changes its state depending on theamount of charge held in the node FG. This is because in general, whenthe transistor 140 is an n-channel transistor, a threshold valueV_(th_H) of the transistor 140 in the case where the high-level chargeis held in the node FG is smaller than a threshold value V_(th_L), ofthe transistor 140 in the case where the low-level charge is held in thenode FG. Here, each threshold voltage refers to the potential of thefifth wiring, which is requisite to turn on the transistor 140. Thus, bysetting the potential of the fifth wiring to a potential V₀ which isbetween V_(th_H) and V_(th_L), charge held in the node FG can bedetermined. For example, in the case where the high-level electriccharge is given in data writing, when the potential of the fifth wiringis V₀ (>V_(th_H)), the transistor 140 is turned on. In the case wherethe low-level electric charge is given in writing, even when thepotential of the fifth wiring is V₀ (<V_(th_L)), the transistor 140remains in its off state. Therefore, by controlling the potential of thefifth wiring and determining whether the transistor 140 is in an onstate or off state (reading out the potential of the second wiring),stored data can be read out.

Further, in order to rewrite stored data, the next potential is suppliedto the node FG that is holding the predetermined amount of charge givenin the above data writing, so that the charge of the next data is heldin the node FG. Specifically, the potential of the fourth wiring is setto a potential at which the transistor 162 is turned on, whereby thetransistor 162 is turned on. The potential of the third wiring(potential of the next data) is supplied to the node FG, and thepredetermined amount of charge is accumulated in the node FG. Afterthat, the potential of the fourth wiring is set to a potential at whichthe transistor 162 is turned off, whereby the transistor 162 is turnedoff, whereby the charge of the next data is kept being held in the nodeFG. In other words, while the predetermined amount of charge given inthe first writing is kept being held in the node FG, an operation(second writing) is performed in the same manner as the first writing,whereby data can be overwritten to be stored.

The off-state current of the transistor 162 described in this embodimentcan be sufficiently reduced by using the oxide semiconductor stackedlayer including at least two oxide semiconductor layers whose energygaps are different from each other. Thus, by using such a transistor, asemiconductor device in which stored data can be kept being held for anextremely long time can be provided.

As described above, by using the oxide semiconductor stacked layerincluding a plurality of oxide semiconductor layers having differentenergy gaps, the electrical characteristics of the transistor can beadjusted with higher accuracy, providing the transistor with appropriateelectrical characteristics. Accordingly, semiconductor devices for avariety of purposes such as high functionality, high reliability, andlow power consumption can be provided.

The structures, methods, and the like described in this embodiment canbe combined as appropriate with any of the structures, methods, and thelike described in the other embodiments.

Embodiment 8

Any semiconductor device disclosed in this specification can be appliedto a variety of electronic equipment (including game machines). Examplesof electronic equipment are a television set (also referred to as atelevision or a television receiver), a monitor of a computer or thelike, a camera such as a digital camera or a digital video camera, adigital photo frame, a mobile phone handset (also referred to as amobile phone or a mobile phone device), a portable game machine, aportable information terminal, an audio reproducing device, alarge-sized game machine such as a pachinko machine, and the like.Examples of electronic equipment each including the semiconductor devicedescribed in the above embodiment are described. The semiconductordevice described above enables electronic equipment with quality for avariety of purposes such as high functionality, high reliability, andlow power consumption to be provided.

FIG. 16A illustrates a table 9000 having a display portion. In the table9000, a display portion 9003 is incorporated into a housing 9001. Thesemiconductor device manufactured according to one embodiment of thepresent invention can be used for the display portion 9003, and an imagecan be displayed on the display portion 9003. The housing 9001 issupported by 4 leg portions 9002 here. Further, a power cord 9005 forsupplying power is provided for the housing 9001.

The display portion 9003 has a touch input function, so that users canoperate the screen or input data by touching a display button 9004displayed on the display portion 9003 of the table 9000 with theirfingers or the like; this enables communication with or control ofanother home appliance, whereby the display portion 9003 can serves as acontrol device for controlling another home appliance by screenoperation. For example, the display portion 9003 can be provided with atouch input function by using the semiconductor device having an imagesensor function described in Embodiment 6.

Further, the screen of the display portion 9003 can be placedperpendicular to a floor with a hinge provided for the housing 9001;thus, the table 9000 can also be used as a television device. Atelevision device having a large screen reduces an open space in a smallroom; by contrast, a display portion incorporated in a table leads toefficient use of the room space.

FIG. 16B illustrates a television set 9100. In the television set 9100,a display portion 9103 is incorporated in a housing 9101. Thesemiconductor device manufactured according to one embodiment of thepresent invention can be used in the display portion 9103, so that animage can be displayed on the display portion 9103. The housing 9101 issupported by a stand 9105 here.

The television set 9100 can be operated with an operation switch of thehousing 9101 or a separate remote controller 9110. Channels and volumecan be controlled with an operation key 9109 of the remote controller9110 so that an image displayed on the display portion 9103 can becontrolled. Furthermore, the remote controller 9110 may be provided witha display portion 9107 for displaying data output from the remotecontroller 9110.

The television set 9100 illustrated in FIG. 16B is provided with areceiver, a modem, and the like. With the receiver, the television set9100 can receive a general television broadcast. Further, the televisionset 9100 can be connected to a communication network by wired orwireless connection via the modem, so that one-way (from sender toreceiver) or two-way (between sender and receiver or between receivers)data communication can be performed.

The semiconductor device described in any of Embodiments 1 to 7 can beapplied to the display portion 9103, whereby a higher-performance,highly reliable television set can be provided.

FIG. 16C illustrates a computer which includes a main body 9201, ahousing 9202, a display portion 9203, a keyboard 9204, an externalconnection port 9205, a pointing device 9206, and the like. The computeris manufactured using the semiconductor device manufactured according toone embodiment of the present invention for the display portion 9203.

The semiconductor device described in any of Embodiments 1 to 7 can beapplied to the display portion 9203, whereby a higher-performance,highly reliable computer can be provided.

FIG. 16D illustrates an example of a mobile phone. A mobile phone 9500is provided with a display portion 9502 incorporated in a housing 9501,an operation button 9503, an external connection port 9504, a speaker9505, a microphone 9506, and the like. The semiconductor devicedescribed in any of Embodiments 1 to 7 can be applied to the displayportion 9502, whereby a higher-performance, highly reliable mobile phonecan be provided.

Users can input data, make a call, or text a message by touching thedisplay portion 9502 of the mobile phone 9500 illustrated in FIG. 16Dwith their fingers or the like.

There are mainly three screen modes for the display portion 9502. Thefirst mode is a display mode mainly for displaying images. The secondmode is an input mode mainly for inputting data such as text. The thirdmode is a display-and-input mode in which two modes of the display modeand the input mode are combined.

For example, in the case of making a call or text messaging, a textinput mode mainly for inputting text is selected for the display portion9502 so that characters displayed on a screen can be input. In thiscase, it is preferable to display a keyboard or number buttons on almostthe entire screen of the display portion 9502.

By providing a detection device which includes a sensor for detectinginclination, such as a gyroscope or an acceleration sensor, inside themobile phone 9500, the direction of the mobile phone 9500 (whether themobile phone 9500 is placed horizontally or vertically for a landscapemode or a portrait mode) is determined so that display on the screen ofthe display portion 9502 can be automatically switched.

In addition, the screen mode is switched by touching the display portion9502 or operating the operation buttons 9503 of the housing 9501.Alternatively, the screen modes can be switched depending on kinds ofimages displayed on the display portion 9502. For example, when a signalof an image displayed on the display portion is a signal of moving imagedata, the screen mode is switched to the display mode; when the signalis a signal of text data, the screen mode is switched to the input mode.

Moreover, in the input mode, a signal detected by an optical sensor inthe display portion 9502 may be detected, so that the screen mode may becontrolled so as to be switched from the input mode to the display modewhen input by touching the display portion 9502 is not performed withina specified period of time.

The display portion 9502 can also function as an image sensor. Forexample, an image of a palm print, a fingerprint, or the like is takenby touching the display portion 9502 with the palm or the finger,whereby personal authentication can be performed. Further, a backlightor a sensing light source which emits a near-infrared light may beprovided for the display portion, by which an image of a finger vein, apalm vein, or the like can be taken.

The structures, methods, and the like described in this embodiment canbe combined as appropriate with any of the structures, methods, and thelike described in the other embodiments.

Example 1

In this example, Samples (Sample 1A, Sample 1B, Sample 2A, and Sample2B) were manufactured in which a second oxide semiconductor layer whoseenergy gap is smaller than that of a first oxide semiconductor layer isformed over the first oxide semiconductor layer and a third oxidesemiconductor layer is formed over the second oxide semiconductor layer,and cross-sectional structures of Sample 1A, Sample 1B, Sample 2A, andSample 2B were observed. Further, ionization potentials of Samples 1Aand 2A were measured, based on which the energy band diagrams wereobtained by calculation. In this specification, the ionization potentialis the sum of a band gap and an electron affinity, and the band gap ismeasured by ellipsometry on a single film formed of its material.

A 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film, a 5-nm-thick In—Sn—Zn-basedoxide film, and a 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film were stacked overa quartz substrate, which is a substrate 1000, as a first oxidesemiconductor layer 1001, a second oxide semiconductor layer 1002, and athird oxide semiconductor layer 1003, respectively, to form Sample 1A.Each layer was deposited by a sputtering method at a substratetemperature of 300° C. under an oxygen atmosphere (100% oxygen). Anoxide target of In:Ga:Zn=1:1:1 (atomic ratio) was used for deposition ofeach In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film; an oxide target of In:Sn:Zn=2:1:3(atomic ratio) was used for deposition of the In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film.

An oxide semiconductor stacked layer formed in a manner similar to thatof Sample 1A was subjected to heat treatment, so that an oxidesemiconductor stacked layer including a mixed region was formed to formSample 1B. The heat treatment was performed at 650° C. under nitrogenatmosphere for one hour, and then performed at 650° C. under oxygenatmosphere for one hour.

A 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film, a 5-nm-thick In—Zn-based oxidefilm, and a 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film were stacked over aquartz substrate, which is a substrate 1000, as a first oxidesemiconductor layer 1001, a second oxide semiconductor layer 1002, and athird oxide semiconductor layer 1003, respectively, to form Sample 2A.Each layer was deposited by a sputtering method at a substratetemperature of 300° C. under an oxygen atmosphere (100% oxygen). Anoxide target of In:Ga:Zn=1:1:1 (atomic ratio) was used for deposition ofeach In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film; an oxide target of In:Zn=2:1 (atomicratio) was used for deposition of the In—Zn-based oxide film.

An oxide semiconductor stacked layer formed in a manner similar to thatof Sample 2A was subjected to heat treatment, so that an oxidesemiconductor stacked layer including a mixed region was formed to formSample 2B. The heat treatment was performed at 650° C. under nitrogenatmosphere for one hour, and then performed at 650° C. under oxygenatmosphere for one hour.

Respective edge sections were cut out of Samples 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B, andcross sections thereof were observed with a high-resolution transmissionelectron microscopy (“H9000-NAR”: TEM manufactured by HitachiHigh-Technologies Corporation) at an accelerating voltage of 300 kV.FIG. 17B is a TEM image of Sample 1A; FIG. 17C is a TEM image of Sample1B; FIG. 18B is a TEM image of Sample 2A; FIG. 18C is a TEM image ofSample 2B. A schematic diagram of Sample 1A and a schematic diagram ofSample 2A are FIG. 17A and FIG. 18A, respectively. Each interfacebetween stacked oxide semiconductor layers is shown by a dotted line inFIGS. 17A and 18A, which is illustrated schematically.

The TEM images of Samples 1A and 1B in FIGS. 17B and 17C are of theoxide semiconductor stacked layer in which the first 5-nm-thickIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film, the 5-nm-thick In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film, andthe second 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film were stacked over thesubstrate 1000 as the first oxide semiconductor layer 1001, the secondoxide semiconductor layer 1002, and the third oxide semiconductor layer1003, respectively. Each interface between the stacked oxidesemiconductor layers can be recognized in the TEM image of Sample 1A inFIG. 17B. On the other hand, in the TEM image of Sample 1B in which theheat treatment was performed on the oxide semiconductor stacked layer, aclear interface is not recognized between the stacked oxidesemiconductor layers as shown in FIG. 17C, and a mixed region is formed.

The TEM images of Samples 2A and 2B in FIGS. 18B and 18C are of theoxide semiconductor stacked layer in which the first 5-nm-thickIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film, the 5-nm-thick In—Zn-based oxide film, andthe second 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film were stacked over thesubstrate 1000 as the first oxide semiconductor layer 1001, the secondoxide semiconductor layer 1002, and the third oxide semiconductor layer1003, respectively. Each interface between the stacked oxidesemiconductor layers can be recognized in the TEM image of Sample 2A inFIG. 18B. On the other hand, in the TEM image of Sample 2B in which theheat treatment was performed on the oxide semiconductor stacked layer, aclear interface is not recognized between the stacked oxidesemiconductor layers as shown in FIG. 18C, and a mixed region is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 17B, 17C, 18B, and 18C, it can be recognized that inSamples 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B, the first In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film which isthe first oxide semiconductor layer 1001, the In—Sn—Zn-based oxide filmand the In—Zn-based oxide film each of which is the second oxidesemiconductor layer 1002, and the second In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film whichis the third oxide semiconductor layer 1003 each include a crystal andare a crystalline oxide semiconductor (CAAC-OS) film having c-axisalignment. The first In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film which is the first oxidesemiconductor layer 1001 also includes an amorphous structure.

The crystal state of each oxide semiconductor layer in the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer is not particularly limited; each and everyoxide semiconductor layer may have a crystal structure or may have anamorphous structure, or both an oxide semiconductor layer having acrystal structure and an oxide semiconductor layer having an amorphousstructure may be included in the oxide semiconductor stacked layer.

Respective stacked layers were formed under deposition conditions whichare the same as respective those of Sample 1A and Sample 2A except asingle crystal silicon substrate being used as a substrate, andionization potentials thereof were measured by ultraviolet photoelectronspectroscopy (UPS) while sputtering top surfaces thereof, results ofwhich are shown in FIGS. 19 and 21.

In FIGS. 19 and 21, the horizontal axis indicates the sputtering timetaken from the top surface of the sample, and the vertical axisindicates the ionization potential. Each interface is indicated on theassumption that the sputtering rate is equal to each other between theIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide film and the In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film and thesputtering rate is equal to each other between the In—Ga—Zn-based oxidefilm and the In—Zn-based oxide film.

It can be seen from FIG. 19 that the ionization potential lowers in theIn—Sn—Zn-based oxide film provided between the In—Ga—Zn-based oxidefilms. The ionization potential means the energy difference from thevacuum level to the valence band.

The band gap according to the ellipsometry measurement was subtractedfrom the ionization potential, so that the energy of the conduction bandwas obtained, drawing a band structure of the stacked layer. The bandgap of the In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film and the band gap of theIn—Sn—Zn-based oxide film were set at 3.2 eV and 2.8 eV, respectively.In this manner, FIG. 20 is obtained. It is found that a buried channelis formed in FIG. 20 as shown in an energy band diagram shown in FIG.4C.

It can be seen from FIG. 21 that the ionization potential lowers in theIn—Zn-based oxide film provided between the In—Ga—Zn-based oxide films.The ionization potential means the energy difference from the vacuumlevel to the valence band.

The band gap according to the ellipsometry measurement was subtractedfrom the ionization potential, so that the energy of the conduction bandwas obtained, drawing a band structure of the stacked layer. The bandgap of the In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film and the band gap of the In—Zn-basedoxide film were set at 3.2 eV and 2.6 eV, respectively. In this manner,FIG. 22 is obtained. It is found that a buried channel is formed in FIG.22 as shown in the energy band diagram shown in FIG. 4C.

In this example, the stacked layer in which the In—Ga—Zn-based oxidefilm was used as each of the first oxide semiconductor layer and thethird oxide semiconductor layer and the In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film or theIn—Zn-based oxide film was used as the second oxide semiconductor layerwhose ionization potential and energy gap are smaller than those of anyof the first oxide semiconductor layer and the third oxide semiconductorlayer was surely described by FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or the energy banddiagram shown in FIG. 4C. The combination of materials of the firstoxide semiconductor layer, the second oxide semiconductor layer, and thethird oxide semiconductor layer is not particularly limited; materialsmay be used as appropriate to FIG. 20, FIG. 22, or the energy banddiagram shown in FIG. 4C, considering their energy gaps.

Example 2

In this example, characteristics of transistors (Example Transistors 1to 4 and Comparison Transistors 1 to 4) each including an oxidesemiconductor stacked layer which consists of a stack of a first oxidesemiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer, which aredescribed as the transistors 440 a, 440 b, and 430 in Embodiment 1, werecalculated.

For the calculation in this example, simulation software TechnologyComputer-Aided Design (TCAD) manufactured by Synopsys, Inc. was used.

As Example Transistors 1 and 2 and Comparison Transistors 1 and 2,bottom-gate (channel-etched type) transistors were used in each of whichan oxide semiconductor stacked layer in which a first oxidesemiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are stackedin this order is provided over a 100-nm-thick gate insulating filmprovided over a gate electrode layer, and a source and drain electrodelayers are provided over the oxide semiconductor stacked layer asdescribed for the transistors 440 a and 440 b in Embodiment 1.

As Example Transistors 3 and 4 and Comparison Transistors 3 and 4,bottom-gate transistors were used in each of which a source and drainelectrode layers are provided over a 100-nm-thick gate insulating filmprovided over a gate electrode layer, and an oxide semiconductor stackedlayer in which a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxidesemiconductor layer are stacked in this order is provided over thesource and drain electrode layers as described for the transistor 430 inEmbodiment 1.

The calculation was performed by setting both of the channel length (L)and the channel width (W) at 10 μm and setting the drain voltage (Vd) at1 V in Example Transistors 1 to 4 and Comparison Transistors 1 to 4.

Each oxide semiconductor stacked layer of Example Transistors 1 to 4includes the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxidesemiconductor layer which have different energy gaps from each other. A5-nm-thick In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film and a 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-basedoxide film were included as the first oxide semiconductor layer and thesecond oxide semiconductor layer, respectively, in Example Transistors 1and 3; a 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film and a 5-nm-thickIn—Sn—Zn-based oxide film were included as the first oxide semiconductorlayer and the second oxide semiconductor layer, respectively, in ExampleTransistors 2 and 4.

On the other hand, each oxide semiconductor stacked layer of ComparisonTransistors 1 to 4, which are comparison examples, includes the firstoxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer whichhave the same energy gap. A 5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film and a5-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film were included as the first oxidesemiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer,respectively, (i.e., the oxide semiconductor stacked layer consists ofIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide films) in Comparison Transistors 1 and 3; a5-nm-thick In—Sn—Zn-based oxide film and a 5-nm-thick In—Sn—Zn-basedoxide film were included as the first oxide semiconductor layer and thesecond oxide semiconductor layer, respectively, (i.e., the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer consists of ITGO films) in ComparisonTransistors 2 and 4.

For the calculation, in Example Transistors 1 to 4 and ComparisonTransistors 1 to 4, the band gap, carrier life time, bulk mobility, andelectron affinity of the In—Ga—Zn-based oxide film were set at 3.15 eV,1 nsec, 10 cm²/Vs, and 4.6 eV, respectively; the band gap, carrier lifetime, bulk mobility, and electron affinity of the In—Sn—Zn-based oxidefilm were set at 2.8 eV, 1 nsec, 35 cm²/Vs, and 4.6 eV, respectively.

The off-state currents obtained through the calculation of ExampleTransistors 1 and 2 and Comparison Transistors 1 and 2 are shown inFIGS. 23A and 23B; those obtained through the calculation of ExampleTransistors 3 and 4 and Comparison Transistors 3 and 4 are shown inFIGS. 25A and 25B. FIGS. 23B and 25B are enlarged graphs at draincurrents ranging from 1.0×10⁻³⁵ A to 1.0×10⁻²⁵ A in FIGS. 23A and 25A,respectively. In FIGS. 23A and 23B, and FIGS. 25A and 25B, the verticalaxis indicates the drain current (A) and the horizontal axis indicatesthe gate voltage (V).

The filed-effect mobilities obtained through the calculation of ExampleTransistors 1 and 2 and Comparison Transistors 1 and 2 are shown in FIG.24; those obtained through the calculation of Example Transistors 3 and4 and Comparison Transistors 3 and 4 are shown in FIG. 26. In FIGS. 24and 26, the vertical axis indicates the filed-effect mobility (cm²/Vs)and the horizontal axis indicates the gate voltage (V).

In Example Transistors 1 and 2 and Comparison Transistors 1 and 2, whichhave the same structure, the off-state current was different as shown inFIGS. 23A and 23B, and the field-effect mobility was also different asshown in FIG. 24.

Likewise in Example Transistors 3 and 4 and Comparison Transistors 3 and4, which have the same structure, the off-state current was different asshown in FIGS. 25A and 25B, and the field-effect mobility was alsodifferent as shown in FIG. 26.

In this example, particularly, the difference in the field-effectmobility shown in FIGS. 24 and 26 became remarkable depending on theoxide semiconductor materials and the stack order of layers of the oxidesemiconductor stacked layer.

The foregoing results prove that electrical characteristics (thefield-effect mobility and the off-state current in this example) of atransistor can be changed variously by a stacked layer of oxidesemiconductor layers whose band gaps are different from each otherwithout changing the structure of the transistor.

Thus, by using an oxide semiconductor stacked layer, electricalcharacteristics of a transistor can be adjusted with high accuracy,providing the transistor with appropriate electrical characteristics.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application serial no.2011-152099 filed with Japan Patent Office on Jul. 8, 2011, the entirecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

1. (canceled)
 2. A semiconductor device comprising: a gate electrode; agate insulating film over the gate electrode; a first oxidesemiconductor layer over and in direct contact with the gate insulatingfilm; a second oxide semiconductor layer over and in direct contact withthe first oxide semiconductor layer; a source electrode over and indirect contact with the second oxide semiconductor layer; a drainelectrode over and in direct contact with the second oxide semiconductorlayer; and an oxide insulating layer over the source electrode and thedrain electrode, wherein the oxide insulating layer is in direct contactwith the second oxide semiconductor layer between the source electrodeand the drain electrode, wherein the first oxide semiconductor layercomprises indium, tin, and zinc, wherein the second oxide semiconductorlayer comprises indium, gallium, and zinc, wherein an energy gap of thefirst oxide semiconductor layer is smaller than an energy gap of thesecond oxide semiconductor layer, and wherein a c-axis of a crystal inthe second oxide semiconductor layer is perpendicular to an uppersurface of the second oxide semiconductor layer.
 3. The semiconductordevice according to claim 2, wherein the second oxide semiconductorlayer is in direct contact with a side surface of the first oxidesemiconductor layer.
 4. The semiconductor device according to claim 2,wherein the oxide insulating layer comprises aluminum and oxygen.
 5. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein each of the firstoxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layercomprises an oxygen excess region.
 6. The semiconductor device accordingto claim 2, wherein the side surface of the first oxide semiconductorlayer is along a channel width direction.
 7. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 2, further comprising: a first transistor comprisingsilicon in a channel formation region; and a first insulating layer overthe first transistor and under the first oxide semiconductor layer.
 8. Asemiconductor device comprising: an oxide semiconductor stacked layercomprising a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxidesemiconductor layer over the first oxide semiconductor layer; a gateelectrode; and a gate insulating film between the gate electrode and theoxide semiconductor stacked layer, wherein the gate electrode and theoxide semiconductor stacked layer overlap each other, wherein the secondoxide semiconductor layer is in direct contact with a side surface at anedge of the first oxide semiconductor layer, wherein each of the firstoxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layercomprises indium and zinc, wherein the oxide semiconductor stacked layercomprises a crystal, and wherein a c-axis of the crystal isperpendicular to an upper surface of the second oxide semiconductorlayer.
 9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein thesecond oxide semiconductor layer further comprises gallium.
 10. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 8, further comprising a sourceelectrode and a drain electrode, wherein each of the source electrodeand the drain electrode is in direct contact with an upper surface ofthe second oxide semiconductor layer.
 11. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 8, wherein an energy gap of the first oxidesemiconductor layer is smaller than an energy gap of the second oxidesemiconductor layer.
 12. The semiconductor device according to claim 8,wherein the oxide semiconductor stacked layer further comprises a thirdoxide semiconductor layer, and wherein the third oxide semiconductorlayer is under the first oxide semiconductor layer.
 13. A semiconductordevice comprising: a gate electrode; a gate insulating film over thegate electrode; a first oxide semiconductor layer over the gateinsulating film; and a second oxide semiconductor layer over the firstoxide semiconductor layer, wherein the gate electrode and the firstoxide semiconductor layer overlap each other, wherein the gate electrodeand the second oxide semiconductor layer overlap each other, wherein thesecond oxide semiconductor layer is in direct contact with a sidesurface of the first oxide semiconductor layer, and wherein each of thefirst oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layercomprises indium and zinc.
 14. The semiconductor device according toclaim 13, wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer further comprisesgallium.
 15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, furthercomprising a source electrode and a drain electrode, wherein each of thesource electrode and the drain electrode is in direct contact with anupper surface of the second oxide semiconductor layer.
 16. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein an energy gap of thefirst oxide semiconductor layer is smaller than an energy gap of thesecond oxide semiconductor layer.
 17. The semiconductor device accordingto claim 13, wherein the oxide semiconductor stacked layer furthercomprises a crystal, and wherein a c-axis of the crystal isperpendicular to an upper surface of the second oxide semiconductorlayer.